Something Wicked This Way Comes
by VereorFaux
Summary: Lelouch thought his life over as the sword stabbed him. Instead, he woke up in a different world without his people, his power, and his money. Turning to the magic of this world to achieve his goals, Lelouch begins a crusade when the people he left behind are threatened. Even if it meant dying over and over again to achieve his goals.
1. The King and the Royal Candidate

AN: I wanted Re:Zero fics. There were no Re:Zero fics. I wrote a Re:Zero fic.

 **Chapter 1: A King and the Royal Candidate**

* * *

The warmth of his sister's hand was the last thing Lelouch felt before he fell into eternal slumber. The one who destroys and creates worlds anew died, rejecting the gods, rejecting his parents.

Whatever awaited him in the end, after the end, he would accept it, knowing that he took all the sins of his empire with him into an early grave. Seconds after he closed his eyes, he was blinded.

Bright light flew through lidded eyes, making him grimace as all feeling returned to his body. Pressing his eyes shut, Lelouch lifted a hand, holding it over his eyes as he tried to get used to the sudden brightness.

"Oi," he heard someone speak. "You having a heat stroke? I can't have anyone dying in front of my shop."

Lelouch's eyebrows furrowed at the voice. The accent was without a doubt British, but there was something strange about it. When he finally opened his eyes, Lelouch looked to his left, where the voice came from.

A man with green hair and a strange three-spike goatee stood there, most of his hair hidden behind a black bandana. The way he was dressed, however, with an open vest and no shirt under it, reminded him of the peculiar shopkeepers in the middle eastern Bazaars he read about in history lessons.

"Fancy clothes there, though they might be a bit too much for a summer day," the man said. Lelouch didn't say anything, his tongue lying heavy in his mouth. Had he failed? Was he alive for some reason unknown? Had C.C. done something? The thoughts raced through his head, and left him confused.

Lelouch was not used to confusion. Shock, perhaps. Being surprised was something nobody could get rid off. Anger, he knew well, but confusion was not a feeling he wanted to get used to.

Finally done with contemplating, Lelouch moved.

"I apologize," he said, looking down at his clothes. Unmarred, completely fine, and without a drop of blood on them. Turning around, he used one arm to raise up and slowly stood, brushing off dirt and dust from his white robes. "Thank you for your concern, sir."

"Ahh, it's alright," the man said, grinning. "You seem like a polite kid. Name's Kadomon."

Lelouch took the slow ascension to his feet to look around. He would not stand for confusion, and instead would work towards surprise and understanding instead. A quick look around, to the chattering masses around them, revealed quite the sight to him.

If the strange beast drawing a carriage hadn't been enough, the fact that a man with cat ears stood near a woman that had two horns sprouting out of the sides of her head told him a lot.

"I am Lelouch," he introduced himself. "I suppose the heat was too much for me. I cannot remember where I ended up, I'm afraid. Could you answer some of my questions?"

The last sentence came out a bit forcefully, and swiped his eyes in an attempt to remove the contact lenses in them and activate his Geass.

It didn't work. He had no contact lenses stuck in his eyes, despite the strange pressure he felt on them, and the Geass in his eye did not flare up. Wiping any shock from his face quickly, Lelouch just smiled.

Kadomon blinked before crossing his arms, a small scowl washing over his face. It looked like he was thinking rather than actually scowling, an expression he was familiar with from working with people like Milly.

"Might want to get yourself checked by a water mage if it's that bad," Kadomon said. "We're in Lugnica, the Dragon Kingdom."

Lelouch tried not to twitch. There it was. Surprise. He thought he had crashed somewhere that was 'liberated' by Britannia years ago, which could've explained the accent. The strange cat ears and horns could've been cosplay. The beast had some rational explanation as well, if he had put his mind into it.

Lelouch hadn't studied all currencies of the world, so these coins that the people used might as well be something unfamiliar to him.

But actually hearing the name of a kingdom that he was sure doesn't exist confuses him.

"I see," Lelouch said, pursing his lips. "The king seems to be a benevolent ruler, what a prosperous city."

"Indeed." Kadomon grinned. "King Randohal did great work, he's been holding the reins since my parents were children."

"That long?" Lelouch asked surprised. "That's impressive."

"The royal election should be soon," Kadomon said, a twinge of sadness in his voice. Once again, surprise was the emotion that Lelouch felt. An election? Not a simple inheritance? "There's always hope that the next monarch will be better than the former, but it might be hard to surpass him."

Someone who could inspire such loyalty. Lelouch would have loved to meet him.

"Thank you," Lelouch said. The man gave a soft grin. Grabbing the green gem from the side of his fancy hat, he removed it and took a step towards the man. "I'm afraid I do not have any currency that would be accepted here, could I purchase some fruit with this gem?"

The man blinked, staring at the shining gem in shock before shaking his head strongly.

"That'd be too much, kid," he said. "I always value a paying customer, but you seem nice enough, just take one or two apples, I don't mind."

"Could you point me towards someone who could exchange this gem for money then?" Lelouch asked. "I might need some new clothes if I want to stand the heat."

Not like he wanted to walk around with gems on his body, or the fancy gold and white target this painted him as.

"I think so," he said. "Hmmm, there's some people not far from here, look there."

He pointed towards the left, and Lelouch followed his finger towards a red building with large symbols he couldn't read on it. "Down that way, there's an alley, an old man is gonna sit there, ask him for the Blue Swallow, and he'll point you towards a bar where you can ask the barkeeper for a special drink-"

"I'm sorry?" Lelouch said, trying to keep the smile on his face. The man laughed.

"I'm just kidding," Kadomon said. Lelouch laughed softly. "The red building there, you can probably exchange it there-"

It happened fast. Lelouch smiled, pulling his arm back and about to hold the gem in his fist before making his way to the red building, and before he could complete the motion, the gem was gone.

A yellow blur traveled in front of him, and Lelouch followed it with its eyes.

"Haaaa?" Kadomon summarized his thoughts rather well with a more than exaggerated noise. "I think you got robbed."

"That's… unfortunate," Lelouch said. "But I do have a second one-"

His hand moved to the other side of his hat, where the gem was supposed to hang. It was gone. Lelouch closed his eyes, drawing a shuddering breath. His shoulders sagging, he stared into the direction the yellow blur had vanished towards.

"I… suppose I will have to take you up on your offer, sir," Lelouch said. "I apologize for the inconvinience."

"It's alright, kid, I feel kind of bad for you," Kadomon said. Lelouch was grateful for the pity this stranger took on him, even a pang of regret at the fact that he wanted to just take over his mind to get answers.

The mystery of the missing Geass was something that could be solved later. He had more important things to worry about, such as finding out just how he ended up here, and how he might be able to get back.

If he should.

Lelouch was sure that this place could not be on the continents he was aware of. Dragon kingdom? Cat people? Preposterous. It was impossible that nobody here had heard of him if he didn't.

The first possibility was that this is some kind of afterlife.

The second was that the World of C was playing a prank on him.

Whichever it was, if he managed to find a way to return to his world, if he dared to call it that, the people would recognize him.

And that would mean fear. Panic. Hatred. Suspicion towards Zero's assassination being legitimate. With a resigned sigh, as soft as possible through barely open lips, Lelouch accepted the apples in a small bag.

"Thank you, sir," Lelouch said. The man nodded, grinning.

"Hope my daughter grows up to be someone like you," Kadomon said. "Polite to the elders, to a fault, your parents must've raised you well."

"Ah," Lelouch said. The inner turmoil he felt at the simple statement was not visible on his face, but nonetheless giving him a reason to pause before formulating the next sentence. "I suppose they have. If your daughter grows up to be a person like you, the people will tell your daughter the same."

"Aw, shucks," the man said, scratching the back of his head. "You think so? Really?"

"I'm sure," Lelouch said. "Thank you for your generosity."

He bowed slightly, and the man just gave him a thumbs up before Lelouch began walking towards the red building. The yellow blur had vanished there, maybe he could find it. Giving one of the apples in the bag a taste, Lelouch began walking.

Perhaps it was the wrong approach. The two red stones on him could also be worth something, though not actual gemstones like the two that had hung from his hat. He didn't like the pompous outfit at all and would've liked to simply buy a new one as soon as possible for the off chance that someone did recognize him, and if not, to avoid looking like an easy target.

If the swords he saw on the hips and backs of some people were not fake, he wasn't looking forward to being accosted simply because he looked rich. Or ridiculous. The outfit had been part of his plan, presentation is half the emperor after all, and people would scorn him even easier.

Now, it was nothing more than a bother. Kadomon hadn't been wrong, it wasn't quite the right outfit for a hot summer day, and he could feel himself sweating even after he opened his robes slightly and took off the hat.

Unfortunately, everything that went with him to this strange place did not include his gun and he doubted that he would be able to use a sword correctly.

Knightmare Frames were a luxury for a king that wanted to step forward with his servants. With no troops and the physical ability of a student who never exercised, Lelouch felt himself disadvantaged. Considering he lost all of it on purpose, he had no right to complain, yet felt that pang of regret when thinking about all the people he left behind.

And the technology.

While the people seemed happy, there was nobody who had a phone, and he did not see any cars or other technology since he arrived. The road of stone looked well made and kept, yet was a far cry from Japan's infrastructure after repairs to the war-torn country. What the British repaired, they repaired well, on the labor of the people they've crushed.

However, Lelouch believed strongly in the monarchy. As someone born into a noblehouse, he knows that one person with absolute power has the power to change things absolutely. The equivalent of that would be a mad ruler, or a power-hungry fool like his father had been, that kept taking and taking without giving, inciting rebellion they kept crushing again and again, destroying local land and population until there was nobody to rise up.

Until there was nobody to exploit anymore.

A good king who didn't have to jump through hoops was superior to a democracy that changed hands every few years. The EU was able to fight back for most of the time until the attrition hit them, poor planning and management of resources led to a lot of deaths of great pilots that could have fought on equal foot with some of the best Britannia had to offer, and then Schneizel took over the campaign.

They didn't even last a year afterwards. Because the EU had 'states' like Britannia had 'Areas'. Only these sovereign states, members of the EU, had their own armies, their own commanders, and their own leaders, and nobody could work together well enough to repel them.

It didn't help that people such as Lloyd were capable of creating weapons that could turn the tide of battle with the right funds.

In hindsight, Lelouch realized, even if they had less, and the technology was abysmal in this kingdom, they also had less to fear.

There was no person here who could hit one button and destroy half the world, after all, and if these people prospered for well over three, or maybe even four score years, then he was happy for them.

This might be the world that Nunnally was dreaming of.

Lelouch sighed as he reached the red building, turning right towards another, smaller street, the apples already gone. He was famished, and he might need some money if he didn't want to starve in the coming days.

A woman with slightly disheveled clothes stood nearby, looking upset as she tried to straighten them out. Lelouch put on his most charming smile as he approached her, the bag in his hands gone.

"Excuse me," he said. "Would you mind if I asked you a question?"

The woman glared at him before the gaze softened, letting her guard down. She looked middle aged, and if the clothes were anything to go by, probably well-off. "Hello, sir knight, have you come to catch the thief?"

"Knight?" Lelouch asked. He looked down on himself, no sword, no armor. He wasn't sure just how exactly she confused him for a knight.

"Oh, I apologize," the woman said, touching her cheek. "Your robes reminded me of the Royal Guard, they also wear white uniforms."

That was information he could work with. So the clothes didn't make him look like an easy target? Or perhaps this woman just confused him because she didn't know the actual look of the uniform. Kadomon hadn't mentioned anything in that direction, after all. Lelouch shrugged.

"That's alright, miss," Lelouch said. The woman looked rather pleased to be called such. "I have been robbed as well, it seems, and I've been looking for the thief."

The woman immediately scowled when she was reminded of the situation. "Of course, yes, she went that way," she pointed at an alley nearby, next to a shop with strange grilled foods he never saw before.

"She?" Lelouch asked.

"A blonde girl," the woman nodded. "She took my handbag and just ran off. The nerve of some people-"

"I see," Lelouch interrupted a bit too quickly. A girl, hm, that narrowed the search down slightly, and blonde? He hadn't seen that hair color crop up often here. It was possible that Lelouch might be able to find the thief quickly. The question was how easy it would be to get the gems back. "Thank you, miss. If it were possible, could you call a knight and point them towards the same direction? I wouldn't want to go to a thief's den alone, but I'm afraid they might flee if I don't pursue them swiftly."

"Of course," she said, nodding. "I will do so immediately."

"Thank you," he said. Moving his hand forward slightly, and grabbing hers as she still straightened out her clothes, she knelt slightly and put his lips onto her knuckles. "It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The woman made a strange noise as he raised himself from his position and he saw her red face before she rushed off to find a knight. Lelouch tried not to grimace at her retreating form and moved towards the brightly lit alley, the position of the sun fortunate enough to throw light into the nook between the buildings.

The smell of grilled food was brought towards him with the breeze as he walked towards the alley with slow but deliberate steps. The woman who stood next to a small fire and prepared the food gave him a smile in greeting when he passed her, which he returned before stepping into the alley. Lines of thin rope went from one building to the other, clothes hanging from them.

It was… simple. The whole city, the streets, the alleys and the people. Everything seemed simple, most people seemed to be happy.

If he was to survive here, he might as well find a way to gamble himself some money, if he could get his gems back.

And if that wasn't possible, he could simply sell the clothes and get something simpler and a bit of coin. The currency these people used was simplistic, without bills, but still a step above primitive trading.

The alley narrowed towards the end and Lelouch slowed down slightly to avoid running into someone that moved on the street in front of him. He could feel himself tire slightly, already, it wasn't in him to take walks like these, and the sun was strong. When he stopped for just a second to catch his breath, he could hear steps behind him.

"Out of the way-" he heard just a second too late. The female voice echoed through the narrow alley and the person who had called out to him jumped.

Right into a clothes line. The line held stronger than she did, it seemed, and Lelouch stared up quick enough to catch a glimpse of shoes and legs before the heels of the shoes smashed right into his face.

He could feel the heels digging into his skin as he fell backwards, and his head smashing against the paved street. His head hurt, his ears were ringing, and his vision was turning black.

What a great way to die. Lelouch wanted to scoff, but he couldn't tell where his mouth was.

* * *

A dull ache spread through Lelouch's forehead, accompanied by a soft blue glow in front of his still closed eyes. Whatever the glow was doing, it helped, and the dull ache slowly left him.

"I know you're not familiar with cities, Lia," he heard someone speak. The voice was that of a child, not the young woman from before. He tried to open his eyes, but the pain returned as the sunlight went through the soft blue glow and blinded him. "That's why you need to be careful, there's a lot of people here!"

"I know," 'Lia' said. She sounded resigned, like a scolded child, but her voice Lelouch was familiar with already. The girl who had knocked me out. "That's why I'm healing him."

Healing, hm. The soft blue glow was healing then.

Lelouch wouldn't really call himself a sceptic. Far from it, after all he had seen, he could accept some things easier than others. A concept such as the Geass and the Code wasn't something he would have believed in prior to meeting C.C., but nowadays, he was more liberal with his thinking.

Opening his mouth slightly, he spoke.

"Is this magic?" he asked, still keeping his eyes closed. The two people above him made a surprised noise and Lelouch sighed. "I seem to be feeling a lot better than I should after a fall like that."

"Yes, it's water magic," the child said. "Healing magic for the laymen."

"I see," Lelouch said. "Thank you, Miss Lia was it?"

"Oh, n-no," the girl stuttered. "I'm sorry, I was the one who hurt you. Please accept my apology."

"I don't hold grudges," Lelouch lied. "You took the time to help me despite the fact that you were in such a hurry. Let us call it even."

"Alright," the child said. "But only I get to call her Lia! Her actual name's-"

"Puck!" the girl chided. The now named Puck hesitated. "It's alright, just keep calling me Lia."

"As you wish, Miss Lia," Lelouch said. When the pain finally subsided, the young woman let go of his forehead, the soft blue glow vanishing. When he opened his eyes, however, he looked up and found himself surprised once more by this strange world.

He was lying in the lap of what looked like a giant cat. Milly would probably have an heart attack by now, but Lelouch simply gasped.

"Hi!" the childish voice of Puck came out of the giant monster. "I'm Puck!"

Lelouch still looked flabbergasted, and tried to school his features into a more professional appearance. He sat up, looking back at the monster and found a young girl with silver hair sitting next to it.

"Is this your first time meeting a spirit?" Puck asked. Lelouch nodded. Cat people he understood. A giant cat, though? One that walked in two legs, that was… strange. It seemed sentient and capable of speech, so not as much of a monster as he thought it was?

"I apologize for my reaction," Lelouch said. "I have never met any spirits, and I'm surprised you are so large."

"I'm not usually," Puck said, shrinking slowly. When he was around the size of Lelouch's palm, he stopped, grinning at him. "Hi again!"

Lelouch sighed. He really had enough surprises for today. "Hello, Mister Puck. I'm Lelouch."

"Just call me Puck!" the spirit said in an upbeat voice. Lia next to him had a hood up, hiding most of her features except for the distinct color of her long hair and unblemished pale skin from her nose downwards.

"Of course," Lelouch said. "Thank you again, Miss Lia, Puck. If you don't mind me asking, why were you in such a hurry?"

The girl breathed in sharply, quickly climbing to her feet and looking out of the alley towards the direction he has been walking towards. "The thief! Puck! We have to hurry!"

"Oh?" Lelouch said, standing up as well as the spirit began floating up towards Lia's hood. "You are looking for her as well?"

Lia turned to him again. "You too?"

"She stole two of my gems," Lelouch explained. "And I'm afraid that I'm without coin or food, which means that she stole everything I had except for the clothes on me."

"Those look like they'd catch a decent price, though," Puck said. Lelouch nodded, a soft smile on his face.

"They probably would, but I'd still like to get my belongings back. What did she steal from you?"

"Something important," Lia said simply. "I need it back, or I'm in big trouble!"

Not going into details, just like with her name. Lelouch couldn't tell just how much he could trust them, and he very much disliked the fact that he had no Geass available to him anymore.

"How about we travel together?" Lelouch suggested, dusting himself off. "We have the same destination, after all, and going alone could be dangerous."

"I'm not alone, though," Lia said. "I have Puck."

"That's not what he meant, Lia," Puck said, sitting on her shoulder. "Let's take him with us, he doesn't look very strong, but he might make a good distraction."

Lelouch laughed. The spirit was open and blunt, while the girl seemed rather literally minded. Both reminded him of a child, though Puck seemed to be the adult one with this pair.

"Alright," Lia conceded. Lelouch nodded as he followed her out of the alley. The sun was beginning to set behind them, he noticed.

"How long have I been out?" Lelouch asked. Puck answered him as Lia looked around outside.

"An hour or so," he said. Lelouch hummed. He hadn't really paid attention to the position of the sun, but Puck had no reason lie to a question like this. Maybe he had been wandering around longer than he thought, the densely populated streets making it hard for a sense of progression to be found.

"I see, I don't think the thief will be nearby anymore, then," Lelouch said. "I had asked a woman to call for a knight and send him here, if she hadn't found one until now, I would be surprised."

"The knights have been rather sparse lately," Lia said. "So if you can't find one patroling, you have to call for one at their headquarters near the residental district, away from the markets."

"That seems like a bad place to put it if one wanted to stop thieves," Lelouch commented, looking around. "Perhaps we should try to look at the opposite side of the market, then? As far away from the knights as possible."

"Why?" Lia asked.

"Because if I were a thief," Lelouch said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Then I'd want to be as far away from knights as possible. The most common places for thieves are where nobody would look, and where it would be too much of a bother to scout."

"So either near the headquarters," Puck concluded. "Or as far away as possible."

Lelouch nodded. "I'm not sure where the headquarters are, though. If the woman I asked to call for a knight moved towards it, I'm sure that the second possibility is far more likely."

"You're more than just a pretty face, hm?" Puck teased, a very humanlike fiendish grin on his face. Lelouch brushed the friendly jab off.

"I was a good student," Lelouch said. "But you are right, physically, I'm a failure."

"Nothing you can't fix with some good exercise," Puck commented. "Alright! Towards the other side of the city! Lelouch's gonna raise his stamina!"

Lelouch felt himself relax more. The spirit reminded him of Milly in more ways than one. The only thing missing was shouting 'Guts!' at the top of his lungs and the image would be perfect.

"Let's," Lelouch said, taking the lead into the opposite direction the woman had run off towards. If he was right, they would find themselves a place that looked like it could be for thieves, something like an abandoned building. He couldn't just let the opportunity to get some answers slip, however. "Say, Miss Lia…"

"Yes?" she glanced towards him, though he couldn't see her eyes under the hood.

"I'm wondering how common magic is," Lelouch said. "I must admit that I have lived a rather sheltered life and am not aware of a lot of things."

"You're like Lia, then," Puck commented. "She doesn't know a lot of things too."

"Puck!" Lia said, indignantly. "I'm learning!"

"Don't worry, you're improving," Puck said. "Won't you answer his question, then? Having you teach someone would be a first~"

"No need to tease me about it," Lia muttered. "Magic is very common. Everyone can do it if they put enough work into it. Some people are more talented than others, and improve at a faster rate, or have a certain blessing."

"Blessing?" Lelouch asked.

"I think it's more commonly known as 'Divine Protection'," Puck said. "Gods favor people and grant them special powers, they say. It's just something you are born with. One in a hundred people have one, most of them useless."

"So they can be useful?" Lelouch asked, geninuely curious.

"The chance for a useful one is one in a thousand," Puck said. "Add more and more zeroes for rarity and effectiveness. The most rare chance is over one in ten million of having more than one."

"Interesting," Lelouch said. "And how would one know of their Blessing?"

"You just know," Lia said, sounding resigned. "If you don't have one, you would know as well, obviously."

"Oh?" Lelouch said. That was bad, then. "I suppose I have none, then, that's too bad."

"You're so sheltered you never heard of Divine Protection and barely know anything about magic," Puck said, shrugging. "Maybe you just have the Divine Protection of Cluelessness."

Lia sighed slightly, and Lelouch just laughed at the spirit. "Maybe. Do you have the Divine Blessing of being adorable?"

"Of course," Puck said, floating off Lia's shoulder and settling on Lelouch's. "I'm the most adorable thing there is."

"Oh, I'm not sure, I met more adorable people," Lelouch said, making Puck purse his small lips.

"Oh yeah? Who would be better than this cute and cuddly spirit?"

"My little sister," Lelouch said. "The most adorable person in the world."

"Ah!" Puck said, pointing his paw at him and poking into his cheek. "The Divine Protection of a Sister Complex!"

Lelouch flicked at Puck's face with a finger, making the spirit mewl and float back to Lia.

"Lia! Liaaaa! Lelouch is being mean to me!" Puck wailed. Some people gave them a strange look as they heard the small thing on her shoulder speak, but nobody reacted strongly. "Tell him to stop."

"Both of you should stop," Lia said, suddenly sounding like the mature one. "Why do you want to know about magic anyway, Mr. Lelouch?"

"Just Lelouch, please," he said. "As I told you, I am not a very strong person, I wish to improve and find a way to defend myself. Perhaps learning magic could help me with that."

"Defend yourself?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Are you in danger?"

"I wouldn't want to be defenseless if I was," Lelouch said. "Are you capable of using your own spells to fight, Miss Lia?"

"Yes." Lia nodded.

"That way, you are more safe than anyone who couldn't, and perhaps I have some talent I do not know about."

"Might be worth a try," Puck said. "Not everyone is compatible with every element, you'll have to learn from someone who can tell you which you are compatible with, and you'll need to practice for years."

"Years?" Lelouch asked. Of course, it couldn't be that simple. "I suppose that there is a reason not everyone is capable of using magic."

"No, without a right teacher, some people actually kill themselves practicing," Lia explained. "Draining all the mana in their bodies until they are unable to move, sometimes taking days to recover and dying of dehydration."

That gave Lelouch a reason to pause. It seems that he might have been jumping the gun a bit early. Maybe the money could hire a good teacher if he was able to make some.

"Are you capable of finding out which type of magic I'm compatible with?" Lelouch asked Lia. She shook her head, but Puck crossed his arms pouting.

"I am, but you were mean, Lelouch," Puck said. Lelouch grinned slightly, poking Puck off Lia's shoulder. "Ow! Liaaaa-"

"What kinds of magic are there anyway?" Lelouch asked. "You mentioned water magic, so there is fire magic as well?"

"Yes," Lia answered, ignoring Puck's childish moaning. "Water, fire, earth, wind, yin and yang."

"And after I learn my element, I study spells?"

"Yes," Lia said again. "Everyone has a 'Gate', it's what you use when you call on your magic. The more you use your Gate, the stronger you will become, and the stronger your magic."

"So it rewards use? Interesting," Lelouch said. This reminded him of the Geass, in a way. The more he used it, the closer he came to 'perfecting' it. The perfect mistake that killed his sister. They reached the edge of the more populated market and the buildings became more and more sparse, and the sun was only sending the faintest of red rays forward over the buildings. "I can assume that water magic is there for healing-"

"Not really," Puck said. "Water magic is used for healing, but there's also four manas. Water mana is used for healing, water magic channels water mana. If you wished to, you could use water magic to create ice and use it to fight."

"And the other three manas?"

"Fire for heat, instead of simply burning things, wind mana is a part of 'outwards' Divine Protections, such as things that make arrows miss you. Earth mana is a part of 'inwards' Divine Protection, such as having knowledge in certain fields without ever practicing them."

"So people without Divine Protection cannot use earth and wind mana?"

"Not as such, no," Lia confirmed. Lelouch hummed. "Most magic is used offensively, or in research, there's no need to go through the dangers of learning it if you're simply a normal person. Some clans have inherent talents in it due to racial Divine Protections, so they have more affinity to magic than humans."

"Clans? You mean different races?" Lelouch asked. "Like the cat people, or Puck?"

"More like the cat people," Puck said. "I'm a spirit. Not really the run of the mill normal person!"

"Truly, I have missed a lot of the world," Lelouch said, smiling. "Meeting a witch and a spirit in one day-"

That must have been the wrong word to say. The moment he said 'witch', Lia stopped, her head whipping around towards him so strongly that her eyes were revealed for just a moment. Purple irises glowed in the shadow of the hood through narrowed eyes.

"You know!" she said, accusingly, her voice rather heated. Puck grimaced as well, but put himself between them instead.

"He doesn't," Puck said. Lelouch blinked, and once again, he felt confusion coming up inside him. "He's really that clueless."

"But Puck-"

"Say, Lelouch," Puck said. "Do you know the name 'Satella'?"

Lelouch shook his head. "Is that someone I should know?"

"Yes," Puck said bluntly. "The Witch of Envy, a half-elf with silver hair that destroyed half the world."

Lelouch's eyebrows furrowed, the young man taking a sharp breath before holding it. Half the world? So the title of 'witch' was as dangerous here, that was good to know. But what did that have to do with… hm. Her hair, the unblemished skin?

"Are you Satella?" Lelouch asked, blinking twice. Lia shook her head.

"No!" she shouted. "I'm just… I'm just someone who shares that one thing with the Witch of Envy."

She grabbed her hood and pulled it back. Two pointed ears were revealed, and just like before, he could see a soft glow in the violet irises that her eyes held. She was undeniably beautiful, around eighteen if he had to guess her age, and looking very, very upset.

"I apologize," Lelouch said swiftly, bowing his head slightly. "I was unaware of my social faux pas and have upset you, I meant no offense."

Lia's glare softened slightly, and Puck just sighed, setting himself on her head.

"What kind of upbringing do you need to have to never hear about the Witch of Envy?" Puck asked. Lelouch chuckled weakly. "You said you were a good student."

"I know quite a lot about economy, playing chess and politics," Lelouch said. "But magic and history are not my strong suits, I apologize. Please, let us continue our conversation later. I believe we might have found what we were looking for."

Lia turned around, resigned, before taking a look around.

The entire place looked like a dump, and there were many buildings that looked abandoned and broken nearby. If there ever was anything as a stereotypical thieves district, this must be it, Lelouch was sure of it.

He could fool some of the people here easier than actual shopkeepers. Taking the red glass sphere from his hat, Lelouch stepped forward, Lia trailing behind him.

A group of men sat around a fire, talking with each other, laughing and drinking. When Lelouch approached, they stopped laughing, staring suspiciously at his white uniform which probably looked like the Royal Guard's uniform to them in the darkness.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said. "I'm looking for someone, and would like to ask if you might have seen her."

"Your girlfriend ran away, pretty boy?" a hulking man asked, a full beard jiggling under his face as he spoke. His arms were thicker than Lelouch's head.

"Not quite," Lelouch said. "I'm looking for a blonde girl, she took something from me."

"And you want to negotiate to get it back?" the man asked. The other men just shook their head. "Well, good luck with finding her then."

"Oh, I was so sure you could point me into the right direction," Lelouch said. Lia stood back, letting him do all the work. Holding the red glass sphere near the fire gave it a rather stunning look. "Whoever can help me find her gets this."

"That…" the bearded man said, sounding as if he was contemplating the offer.

"There's a building just a minute walk down there," a man next to him said, snatching the sphere from Lelouch's hand. "Knock on it, and tell them Brutus sent you for negotiation."

"Thank you," Lelouch said, moving back to Lia with a soft smile on his lips. The man with the beard looked at Brutus with annoyance, but said nothing more.

"See?" Lelouch asked. "That wasn't too hard."

"Won't they look for you when they realize that it's pretty much just glass?"

"You knew, hm?" Lelouch asked, walking into the direction Brutus pointed them to. Puck shrugged.

"Of course," Puck said. "I know my gemstones. That one was way too thin, it'll break in seconds."

"Yes," Lelouch said. "But I don't think I will stay here for long, so I'm not concerned about them."

A minute later, they arrived, standing in front of a wooden building that looked slightly less rundown than the rest around here.

Lelouch knocked on the door, only to notice that it was open already. Falling open slightly, Lelouch took a look into it.

"Hmm," Lelouch said, looking towards Lia. "Can you make a light? Or something like that?"

"Yes," Lia nodded. She raised her hands and blue lights began dancing around them. She slowly sent them forward, getting rid of the darkness.

Lelouch took a tentative step forward, rearing his head through the door and looking at the interior.

Before he could see anything, something dropped on his head. It was a warm liquid, and Lelouch grimaced, touching his head.

"L-lelouch," Lia said. Lelouch turned around as he took a step in. "Lelouch!"

"What is it?" he asked. There was a strange smell in the air. It was familiar, yet somehow twisted in a strange way.

"There's blood on your head!" she shouted. Lelouch's eyes widened and he stared at his hand. Blood was on it. When he swallowed and took a look up, it was already too late.

All he saw was the glint of a knife before he fell over, his belly cut open. He tried to look up, towards Lia, and she too was lying next to him, blood seeping out of her body.

"Y-you…" Lelouch gasped out. He could see a woman's legs. High heels accenting their length and a flash of her underwear before she stepped on his head, forcing him to look at Lia.

"What a resilient one," he heard the woman speak. "Your guts… they're so beautiful."

The sheer bliss in the woman's moans made him shiver. Or maybe it was the fact that he had lost so much blood already that he felt himself slipping into a cold death.

'Not again,' Lelouch thought. 'Dying twice in the same way… is this really the end of my second chance?'

* * *

"Oi, you having a stroke?"


	2. Return to Zero

**Chapter 2: Return to Zero**

* * *

Lelouch's eyes shot open as he righted himself up, taking a deep breath and grabbing his stomach. No wound. No cut. The quick motion sent his hat off his head and it fell down with the sound of shattering glass as the red sphere in the middle of it broke apart. People took a curious glance towards him, but didn't react otherwise, and the man who had called out to him was looking rather worried.

"I'm… alive," Lelouch muttered. He was alive. Again. Again.

The man who had died twice returned twice from death. There was no way Lia had just survived that attack and healed them both, only to drag him off back where he started. Lelouch grimaced, the phantom pain of the wound still fresh.

"Uh, you sure look alive," Kadomon said. "Though you might wanna lie down somewhere if you're feeling unwell."

"Yes, yes," Lelouch muttered. "Thank you, sir."

Lelouch stood up, his knees weak. Had he been a bit less attentive, he might have missed it, but it was clear what had happened simply by grabbing his hat off the ground. The two gems hung from the side like they did before the robbery. The people outside, the cat eared person next to the side street, speaking with a horned person in the exact same spot, the position of the sun.

"Sir?" Lelouch turned to Kadomon. "Have I been here before? I think I got lost."

The man blinked, before crossing his arms and getting that exaggerated 'thinking' look on his face again.

"Never seen you before, kid," he said after a few seconds. "Pretty sure I'd recognize an outfit like yours."

"I see," Lelouch said, successfully keeping himself from frowning at the older man. "I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Sure, sure," Kadomon said. "Just don't go dying in front of my shop, can't afford to have that kind publicity."

"I understand," Lelouch said, an uneasy chuckle leaving his throat. He was back to the point where he arrived in this strange world. Even though he lost his Geass, it was unlikely that this had to do with the Code, considering that the clock moved backwards as well.

He could test it, of course. Kill himself and see if he wakes up again, but Lelouch didn't want to test that hypothetical new power of his until he could be sure.

For all he knew, it might have been a one-off thing. If things happened like the Zero Requiem, he should be staring at the people of a different world right now.

The only correct course of action from this point on was to avoid doing what he did before.

But Lelouch wasn't a fan of standing aside. He also wasn't someone who foolishly charged ahead into an unknown situation. Instead, Lelouch would walk the most reasonable course of action. The one where he had the most to gain.

And saving the life of a young woman and Puck might earn him a magic teacher. Taking off the gems from the hat, he hid them inside his robes just in case and bowed to the shopkeeper.

"Thank you for your concern, sir," he said. He felt hungry, but he didn't really want to have a longer conversation than necessary for the man to just offer him two apples again, and Lelouch could see he didn't earn the same trust as before. "I will be going."

"See ya," Kadomon waved him off. Lelouch didn't know where to begin his search, but he didn't have to. Instead, he took one of the gems out of his pocket and walked away from the red building. Holding the gem in his hands, Lelouch took step after step forward.

As fast as the yellow blur was, it was something visible, so it could get caught. It didn't take very long for him to catch a glance of Lia, hiding her features under the hood, and a girl that jumped her from the roof.

Grabbing something from Lia, the girl glanced towards him, and became a blur. She was like the wind.

But Lelouch saw her coming. Letting go of the gem in feigned shock, he spread his arms and stepped forward the moment she grabbed it, catching her.

She didn't seem to notice, and when Lia rushed towards them, the blonde girl's progress was halted as Lelouch lifted her off the ground.

"Got you," Lelouch said. The blonde girl finally noticed that she had been caught, her legs kicking the air under her as if she could walk on it, and struggled against him.

"Hold on you thief!" Lia shouted. Ice appeared in the air, small pillars with sharp tips that could rend flesh from bone. Despite his knowledge of the half-elf's status as mage, it was an impressive display.

And Lelouch couldn't help but shiver at the idea of using a power like this. Something so malleable. Something so impressive.

"Let me go!" the young girl shouted. "Stranger danger! STRANGER DANGER!"

Lelouch looked towards Lia as people in the street began to run away from the display of magic.

"I could let you go," Lelouch said. "But then you would have to deal with that mage over there."

The girl glared at him, her arms on her sides before glaring towards Lia.

Instead of just resigning to her fate, the blonde grabbed something from behind her back. Pain shot up in his legs, and a glance down revealed two daggers stabbed into him. Grunting in pain as he let go, Lelouch barely managed to keep himself standing.

The girl tried to run, but Lia had sealed off any escape route.

"Give it back!" Lia shouted. "And I won't hurt you!"

"As if!" the young girl shouted, her daggers stained in Lelouch's blood as she turned around, ready to fight. One of the ice pillars flew towards the blonde, and the young girl dodged. More appeared, faster, in an attempt to prevent the girl from catching her breath.

This young girl was so fast, she could probably outrun Suzaku. Becoming a blur to dodge the next volley, Lelouch tried to follow the fight, and failed.

"Puck," Lia said. The young girl was right in the half-elf's face, a dagger aimed at the young woman's chest. A shield appeared, blocking the dagger and forcing the blonde to jump back.

Puck raised his hands, and two spears of ice appeared, rushing towards the blonde girl. Towards Lelouch.

He was unable to dodge, the pain in his legs too much, and when the young thief dodged, he was struck.

The pillars of ice broke. The thief escaped. Lelouch fell onto his back, gasping in pain as the spears stayed stuck his chest and kept him in an uncomfortable twisted position when the tips got stuck in the ground.

"Lia-" he heard Puck's voice. A blue glow appeared in front of him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, so sorry, I'm so sorry-"

"You have to warn me before you summon me-"

"This isn't time for a lesson, Puck! I killed someone-"

Lelouch felt weak. Again. He couldn't breathe, and only darkness was filling his vision. For someone who had survived years of war, for someone to took over the world, only to die this quickly?

Thrice in succession?

* * *

"Oi, you having a stroke?"

Lelouch grimaced, opening his eyes to stare at Kadomon.

"Yes," Lelouch said, standing up. "I apologize for the inconvenience, thank you for your concern, sir."

Kadomon waved him off, shrugging.

"Eh, it's alright," he said. "Can't have anyone dying in front of my shop. What'd the people say?"

"Of course," Lelouch said, schooling his features. Once was strange, the new world confused him. Twice could have still been a chance, maybe the way he died, maybe the person who killed him.

But three times? He was pretty sure now, especially considering the fact that he woke up here again.

He had a Divine Blessing, it seemed. A twisted grin made itself visible on his face, and he hid it behind a hand, staring down. A power like this could be awfully useful. Something that made victory an inevitability. Lelouch felt strangely happy. Even the pain in his chest couldn't take that away.

He could afford to be reckless. Something he could never do before was now possible, and Lelouch could test and make mistakes as often as he wanted. He could ask questions as favors and make it so he never asked them.

But if he always returned back to this spot, surviving the day might actually end up becoming a bother. He would have to repeat his performance again and again…

Or perhaps, he just had to do it long enough to learn magic, before avoiding the trip back into the past by staying away from Lia and the thief.

But now, he had the advantage. Hiding the gems inside his robes, Lelouch made sure to avoid being a target.

Lelouch moved towards the red building, ignoring the noblewoman and made his way to the ghetto as quickly as possible. If he could find out the identity of the murderer, he would have an ace up his sleeve. He could even look for an actual knight if necessary.

Of course, he wasn't very fast, and the yellow blur appeared not long after he reached the edge of the ghetto. She once again stole something from him, this time his hat, the kleptomaniac little girl apparently too busy taking something rather than worrying what it might be worth.

Lelouch didn't bother saying anything, instead, he follow the yellow blur with his eyes and watched as the girl moved somewhere away from the building he had been pointed towards earlier.

Rather than bothering with her, though, he approached the building instead.

Knocking on the door, a gruff voice from the other side echoed loudly. "Password?"

"Brutus sent me here to negotiate," Lelouch said. The voice on the other side hummed, and after a few seconds, a dark skinned hulk of an old man opened the door. He was bald and without beard, yet had long eyebrows which hung down at the sides of his face, braided. A swirl-shaped tattoo sat above his left eye.

A vest without anything under it revealed a very muscled and hairy body. This was a man who could crush him in one hand.

"Hello," Lelouch said. The old man scowled at the look of his outfit before relaxing slightly, letting him in.

"Brutus, hm?" the large man asked, sitting down at a table. "Must've offered him quite something. So, what do you want?"

"I saw a young girl stealing something today," Lelouch said, sitting down across the old man. "I'm interested in this item, and I know that this place is for negotiation about buying the goods."

"You're well informed about our ghetto for a foreigner," the old man said. "I'm Rom, I keep order here. Don't give me a reason to be unhappy."

"Of course." Lelouch smiled at Rom, crossing his arms. "How do you know I'm a foreigner?"

"When you grow as old as me," Rom said. "You meet many people, sell many goods. I've never seen something like your outfit before, so you must be from outside."

"I see," Lelouch said. "Yes, I'm not from around here. Please, call me Zero."

"Strange name," Rom said, grunting. Lelouch was sure the old man knew that he didn't give his real name. "But alright. You want some of Felt's goods, I can talk to her for the negotiation. But you should know that she got a great offer for the item, which means you'll have to surpass that."

So her name was Felt.

"I see," Lelouch said, grabbing into his robes. Taking the two gems out, he put them on the table. "I'm afraid that I don't have any money on my person, and these gems are the only things I can offer. Could I inquire just how it compares to the offer she received?"

"I'm sorry to tell you kid, but while those gems are worth quite some gold, they don't compare to ten pieces of sacred gold," Rom said. Lelouch blinked.

"Sacred gold?" he asked. Rom nodded.

"Sacred gold has twice the value of normal gold, fifty can buy you a plot of land and pay for the labor to have a house built on it," Rom explained. Lelouch frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. That was one course of action gone. The least he could do now was gather information.

"What was the item she stole anyway?" Lelouch asked. "It looked very interesting, a badge of some kind?"

"You wanted to buy it but don't even know what it is?" Rom asked.

"What can I say?" Lelouch shrugged. "I love shiny things. And when she held it, it shone very brightly."

"Hmmm, I'm not sure what exactly it is, I just know she got the job and was very excited about the pay," Rom said. "If you have nothing else to offer, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave."

"Of course," Lelouch said, disappointed by the events. Someone was bleeding here the first time before he got killed. The murderer was a woman, which means that Rom and Felt weren't actually the true problem. "I would wish to give you a word of warning, however. The woman that Felt had struck a deal with is not going to follow up on her offer. She will kill you."

That made Rom react. Lelouch, for the first time, could be reckless, and recklessness meant that he could throw suggestions and information at people simply to see how they'd react.

"You know it's a woman, then?" Rom asked. "I think you might have to explain a bit more."

"Of course," Lelouch said, smiling. "You see, this isn't the first time I've been here. Due to some strange magic, I'm able to- hrk-"

His teeth snapped shut, and he bit his tongue. Lelouch keeled over the table, grabbing his chest. It was like two hands holding onto his heart and ready to crush it at any minute. The pain was unbearable.

"Hey, you alright?" Rom asked. "Want a drink or something? Can't really have people dying around here, this is an honest business."

Lelouch relaxed as the pain subsided, the hands letting go.

"I…" Lelouch gasped out. "Can't seem to tell you how I know. I apologize."

"If you can't tell me, I can't trust you," Rom stated simply.

"Then, could I ask to stay here for the deal?" Lelouch asked. Rom's nostrils flared, and he glared at the younger man. "I'm weak, as you can see, all I wish is to meet the woman. If I just lied, then nothing will happen, right?"

"Keh, might as well," Rom said, scoffing at Lelouch. "Try something, and I'll crush you under my heel."

A threat spoken out of concern, not hostility. It was something Lelouch himself was very familiar with. Felt and the old man were close.

"Of course," Lelouch agreed.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Rom stood. "Password?"

"Go ahead, old man!" came Felt's voice from outside.

"Large Rat," Rom said.

"Poison," Felt said loudly.

"White Whale."

"Fish Hook."

"Our revered dragon."

"Just screw it!" Felt shouted. Rom nodded, opening the door and letting the little girl that led to Lelouch's latest death in. "Who's that, old man Rom?"

"Someone who wanted to negotiate with you," Rom said. "Not enough to beat that offer you got, though."

"Ohh, that's too bad," Felt said, grinning widely. "What is he doing here then?"

"I'm feeling rather unwell," Lelouch said. "I'm waiting until I feel better before making my way home."

Rom glanced at him, but didn't say anything more. When she sat down across him, Lelouch took a good look at her. She was dressed rather provocatively. Her blonde hair was done up in a short ponytail, with a braid over her head, and all that remained open hanging towards her chin.

Ripped pants and a short vest showed off a lot of skin, at least wearing something over her chest that still kept her stomach exposed. The entire outfit was accented by an incredibly long red scarf around her neck which hung down to her ankles.

The daggers she had with her were on her hip, hidden behind her. She was dangerous. Everything here seemed to be. In a world of magic, even those who can't use it seem to have their own advantages. Maybe it was one of those racial blessings that Lia was talking about.

"What did you offer?" Felt asked, sitting across Lelouch with her legs wide.

"Two gems I have," Lelouch said. "I'm afraid you stole my hat, so I couldn't have offered it to you as well."

"Ah!" she pointed at Lelouch, making a loud noise. "It's you!"

"Yes," Lelouch said dryly. "Me. You can keep the hat, I'm not a fan of it anyway."

"Yeah, I thought i could sell that red stone in it, but it just shattered when I grabbed it," she said, not sounding apologetic. "So you can have it back."

"No, really, keep it," Lelouch said. "It's worth nothing to me."

"Why did you wear it then?"

Lelouch grinned. "I was at an event and had to be dressed fancy. Not something I do very often."

Being dressed as Zero wasn't being fancy after all. There's nothing more humble than a cape and a mask.

"Right, right," she said. "Could you piss off while I talk with my customer, then? I told her to be here after the sun sets, so she should be here soon."

"How crude." Lelouch shook his head, standing up. "I won't get between you and your customer. I'm just here to rest a while."

"Sure, and if you try something, old man Rom will take care of you," Felt said, grinning. Lelouch's stomach churned at the thought. He knew she wasn't lying. Moving towards where Rom was sitting, near a table that was sitting in the corner, Lelouch leaned against the wall.

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Ah!" Felt shouted. "I think that's her."

The young girl rushed towards the door, as Rom stared at him.

"You lied to her," Rom said.

"You did as well," Lelouch said.

"I'm suspicious of everyone," he said. "At least I can keep an eye on you if you stay here. Don't make me regret it."

"I would never betray the trust that someone has invested in me," Lelouch lied. "Please, allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Lelouch Lamperouge."

"That doesn't sound like any noble family I've heard of," Rom said.

"Of course not," Lelouch said. "I'm not a noble, after all."

"Good riddance," Rom muttered.

"There she is," Felt shouted, walking in. Taking a seat at the table that Lelouch and Rom had been sitting at earlier, someone entered through the door.

The woman who stepped in looked more out of place than Lelouch. Where Lelouch was dressed in a 'fancy' way, holding himself like a noble, this woman had the presence he lacked... it was like an electricity in the air.

Her raven hair hugged her face and curled towards the end. Her dark purple eyes were fixated on him as she stepped towards the table.

The woman's dark dress was cut just right to reveal her long legs, and a flower the color of her eyes sat on the side of her head, woven into her hair. The mantle she wore around it had a long collar with purple fur.

"There's a disgusting smell," she commented, her eyes still focused on him. Lelouch felt his heartbeat quicken. The woman was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever met - yet he felt sick just looking at her. He idly wondered if this is what people under his Geass felt.

The heels, the legs. The voice.

This was his murderer.

This woman could kill him in a second.

"I apologize," Lelouch commented, keeping the worry out of his voice. And the disgust. Lelouch wanted to throw up at the unnaturalness that the woman spread throughout the room. "I have not taken a shower in a while."

The woman's eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring. What was it about his scent? She hadn't mentioned anything in that direction before.

"Ignoring that fart over there," Felt said before the woman could say anything else. "You have the money?"

"Of course," the beauty said, taking a bag of coins from… somewhere. He didn't really see where in the dress she could have hidden it. Pushing the bag of coins halfway over the table, she nodded at Felt.

The young girl grinned, taking the emblem from inside her pocket. The design was strange, a stone in the middle of it shining brightly as Felt held it towards the woman, reading to grab the gold.

"Ah," the woman said, grabbing Felt's wrist. "You are one as well…"

"Huh?" Felt asked. Lelouch blinked. Was that where the deal went wrong? The woman chuckled, and Rom moved towards them. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you know what this emblem is?" the woman asked, a sadistic grin splitting her face. "It's there to reveal those of royal lineage, if the stone shines, you are a candidate-"

"What the fuck are you talking-"

Lelouch stood swiftly, information, finally. "Rom! Don't!"

Rom grabbed the woman and tried to pull her away from Felt. It proved to be a mistake. The moment he pulled, his arm fell off. Rom grunted in pain, grabbing the stump where his arm was earlier. Felt freed herself, grabbing her dagger and almost stabbing through the beauty's arm.

Lelouch didn't hesitate, he made a rush for the door, even though he couldn't die, so to speak, his body had other plans, and hit the flight response repeatedly. Before he could touch the door, one of Felt's knives hit his hand, pinning him to the door.

He turned his head, staring towards the table where Felt was lying, her head rolling off onto the ground as a pool of blood formed.

"My, my," she said. "What a despicable thing… an Archbishop… here of all places?"

Lelouch panicked. He tried to remove the knife from his hand, but was unable to as the woman walked forward, strange knives in her hands, drenched in blood.

"I'm not with them," Lelouch tried.

"You aren't?" she asked. "Then why do you smell like the Witch, I wonder…"

She misunderstood him, it seemed. While he meant Rom and Felt, she seemed to have drawn her own conclusion to what group he belonged to.

"I wonder," she said, shivering. "Ohhh, I wonder, I wonder…"

She was right in front of him, her hand on his face, tracing his features with a finger as the stench of blood filled his nose from the knife she held towards his nose. The woman all but moaned as she continued.

"I wonder what your guts look like, Archbishop!" she shouted in glee. "Are they black? Are they red?"

She stabbed him in the side. He was unable to resist, unable to run away. He was unable to fight back.

"You… monster," Lelouch gasped out. The most beautiful monster he had ever seen.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, drawing a line under his stomach with her knife. He screamed as the pain became too much. Looking down, he stared at the blood that left his body. "How beautiful…"

She grabbed his organs through the wound she inflicted, and Lelouch lurched forward, throwing up blood and stomach acid onto her before passing out.

And once again, he returned to zero.

This time, though, he knew a lot more.

Lia and Felt were candidates to become queens. People that could help him a lot if they were on his side.

"Oi, you having a stroke there?"

Lelouch grinned. Kadomon gave him a wary glance.


	3. In Spite of Death

**Chapter 3: In Spite Of Death**

* * *

Lelouch bid farewell to Kadomon, holding his stomach as he made his way towards the red building. He would not be cowed by fear, he would not bow down in defeat.

The disgusting aftertaste of blood and vomit burned in his nose, and he could still feel the strange pull towards the woman who had murdered him twice by this point. Something about her was unnatural, that much was clear, but the fact that he was drawn towards her was concerning in a way that he couldn't stand. Weakness on the battlefield because he didn't work out? He could accept that, he never had the brawns that Suzaku had. But when someone messed with his mind, the kid's gloves had to come off.

He knew that he had no chance to fight alone, and as strong as Lia and Puck had been, even they had been unable to hit Felt. If they were still holding back there, that was nice, but he couldn't rely on that.

Technically, he could, but if he brought Lia to the monster and told her as much as he knew, he would probably end up cut open once again. If he, however, sent her alone, and she died together with Felt, his entire plan would have been for nothing.

Grimacing, Lelouch pushed the door open, and found himself standing in the middle of a rather pompous shop, jewelry behind thick glass staring back at him from where it was lying or hanging off the wall.

He caught a man with a strange outfit staring at him, the pointy hat he wore just screamed 'mage' to Lelouch, but the disgusted look he threw towards him, and the way he quickly left the shop made Lelouch pause. Again. It was the same twisted look of disgust that the woman had given him before schooling her features. What had changed between now and then?

The pain in his stomach vanished, as did the taste in his mouth and nose. When he stepped forward, towards a short man in a more conventionally modern suit, Lelouch gave the man a nod.

"Hello," Lelouch said, towering over the jeweler. "I was pointed towards this shop in case I wished to sell gems."

"Yer in the right place," the man said. He had a lisp and a glass eye. Lelouch did his best not to frown at the spit that flew towards his robes. The man was small enough that he wasn't spitting into his face, at least. His short gray hair was spiky and could probably stab out someone's eyes. "Whaddya wanna sell, sonny?"

Lelouch grabbed his hat and removed the gems. Fortunately, he arrived at the shop before Felt stole anything, so he didn't need to hide it. Handing the gems over to the man, he could see the small jeweler grin.

"Ah, what a craftsmanship," he said. Lelouch wished he had most of the gems that hung down from his robes still. Unfortunately, Suzaku's rather impressive stab has left him tumbling down stairs and left him without the gems as the chains broke from the fall. While his outfit was repaired and all the blood was gone, he was left with only the two gems on his hat. "Emerald, quite large, hmmm…"

"Quite," Lelouch agreed. "They were made for me, but I have no need for them and could use some local money."

"You're not from around here?" the man asked. "The currency of the Dragon Kingdom is recognized far, the coins have the worth of the metal they are made of."

Lelouch didn't miss a beat. "I come from an artisan village, we traded in goods and not in coin."

"I see, hmmm," the man stared at the gems, humming as he turned them and stared at them in the light. "Non-magical, pure emerald. That's impressive. I will give you 2 sacred gold for both of them."

Lelouch didn't know the exact value of gold here, but assuming it was around the same in his world, 4 gold coins could take him far, if he gambled for more. Unfortunately, he simply didn't have the time for that, he had to reach the ghetto before the sun went down.

"That's quite the generous offer," Lelouch said. "I can't help but accept."

He had neither the time, nor the money to learn magic and practice it.

The old man grinned widely. "Please come again if ya wanna sell something else. Ziad's jewelry is open day and night."

"Of course," Lelouch as the elderly man pushed two coins over. They looked white, rather than gold, and a dragon was engraved on them. The man pushed the gems into a drawer and locked it up. "Goodbye, sir."

"Have a nice day."

Lelouch left the jeweler, the two white coins in his pockets. Taking a glance to the left, Lelouch saw the middle aged noblewoman without her handbag. But she wasn't his goal this time around.

Right now, he had something more important to do. Something to learn. The information he had was useful, but didn't help him against the murderer. Trying to fight against her inhuman speed was naught but an effort in futility. So he has to level the ground a bit, find a way to drag her to his level rather than the other way around, and use Lia as backup.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said, walking towards a group of young men who were laughing as they walked down the street. "Could you point me towards a shop where I can buy books?"

One of them gave him a strange look, one eye half closed, his eyebrow moving towards his hairline. "You sure you're not looking for a mansion?"

"Pretty sure," Lelouch said. "I don't own a mansion, I'm afraid."

"Neither do we!" the man suddenly shouted, and the others behind him started to laugh. "You should come drinking with us."

The corners of Lelouch's lips twitched downwards. He had no time for this.

"Might I join you after my visit to the bookstore, then?" Lelouch asked. The man thought, before shrugging and nodding.

"I think I saw one back there," one of them said, pointing towards a side street. "It says 'Isabella's' at the top, you can't miss it."

"Thank you," Lelouch said, smiling. When the men went on their way, he moved forward, into the side street. Looking for the particular name of the bookstore, Lelouch realized that he had made an egregious error. A flaw in his plan that he forgot after dying twice.

He was unable to read the local alphabet. While everyone spoke English and was capable of understanding him as much as he understood them, he was looking for books that he couldn't read anyway.

Cursing himself, Lelouch looked towards the shops instead of their names, and did eventually find the bookstore the young man from earlier had mentioned. Instead of walking in, however, Lelouch stared at the letters above the door.

I-S-A-B-E-L-L-A-'-S. The apostrophe seemed to be the same, and the letters were just as many as the name should have. It seems that learning the local language wouldn't be too complicated.

Lelouch clicked with his tongue. He learned Japanese in two weeks when he was ten years old, there was no way he would falter now. Entering the store, Lelouch approached a girl behind a counter. She had dog ears hanging down on the side of her hair.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said, trying his best to sound embarrassed. "I'm looking for some books."

"Of course," the girl who couldn't be older than 16 said. "What kind of books are you looking for?"

"Ah, you see, it's," Lelouch stuttered slightly, looking away before leaning in. She leaned in as well. "I'm from a rather poor village, and we couldn't afford teachers, which is why I am unable to read and write."

While he was a great actor, Lelouch was unable to force himself to get red. The woman, however, nodded in sympathy before taking a look down.

"You don't look very poor, though," she said. It wasn't an accusatory statement, more a general one.

"A kind stranger gave me these clothes and some money when I arrived in the city," Lelouch said. She nodded, believing his lie without much thought. "I wish to repay my debt to him, but I need to learn how to read so I can begin working."

"I feel so sorry for you," she said, her eyes getting red. Lelouch tried not to frown at the overly emotional display when she put a hand on his shoulder. "Let me help you, I can teach you!"

"That would be too kind, miss," Lelouch muttered.

"Call me Isabella!" she all but shouted. Some people in the shop looked towards them. "Please, take a seat while I prepare a list of letters."

Lelouch did, sitting down next to the counter where multiple chairs were put up. Leaning into his seat, he watched the woman begin scribbling letters onto the page. After a while, she pushed the paper over towards him, sitting across him.

Pointing at the first five letters she wrote down, she began to speak.

"A-E-I-O-U."

Lelouch tried not to laugh. Such an earnest effort.

"Write these letters until you can confidently write them while memorizing them," she said. Lelouch nodded, and wrote down the letters in English on his paper before beginning his task.

That was probably a wasted route by now. Even if he hurried towards the ghetto, he would not manage to reach them in time. All he could do right now was learn, and try again.

After a few minutes, he was very confident in writing and reading the first five letters she had offered him. When he pointed it out, she continued.

It took him around half an hour. The way these letters were written was annoying, but something he could used to. And after half an hour, Lelouch was sure that he learned all he could.

"Thank you," Lelouch said, bowing over the counter. "I will repay this debt to you one day."

"Don't worry about it," Isabella said, waving him off. "Just buy a few books and we're even, I just made a new customer after all!"

"Thank you," Lelouch repeated.

"What kind of books are you looking for anyway? You might have memorized them quickly, but you'll probably still want to learn how to read them with a simple book."

"Of course," Lelouch said. "But I was actually interested in books of a more, how do you say, arcane origin."

Isabella blinked. "You're looking for magical books?"

"More books about magic than magical books," Lelouch said, nodding. "I've taken an interest in the matter."

"Well," she said. "We have books about magic, but none that could teach you. There are all these complicated terms like 'affinity' and 'Gate' and all that, I'm not very good on the topic, and I've read everything in here."

With a collection of books this large, and her apparent age, Lelouch couldn't help but feel impressed. Perhaps she was older than she looked, nothing should surprise him anymore, after all.

Grimacing slightly, Lelouch took a look into the shop. "I've heard about those too. Do you know what happens when a mage tries to cast a magic he has no affinity with?"

"If they're really good, they can use weak spells," she said. "But it can be really dangerous. I read that the only person born with all affinities in recent history is Lord Mathers."

"I see," Lelouch said. "And how would one find out someone's affinity?"

"Most high level mages are proficient in it, they can also help people open their Gate," Isabella explained. "So you'll need to find one. And maybe ask if you can buy their books, because I have none on spells here."

Of course it couldn't be that simple. While learning how to read and write had been a step forward into the right direction, the books here, with all their possible history lessons and fictional value, had nothing that interested him.

"Thank you," he said. At least he learned something without sitting down for hours to no end. The question was where to find a mage now? There was one, he recalled, when he woke up and went to Ziad's jewelry. The way that man looked at him, however, made it rather clear that he was not seeing him in a positive light for whatever reason.

Thinking back to the murderer, it became clearer that the mirrored reaction was unlikely to be a coincidence. She called him Archbishop. Said something about the Witch.

"Say," he began. "Do you have something about the Witch of Envy?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and lifted a part of the counter to walk out. "Follow me."

She led him between all the books and towards the end of the entire shop. If he read it correctly, it was the children's book section.

"There's children's books and legends here," she said, taking a book out from the middle of the bookshelf. "This story deals with the Witch of Envy, it's very superficial, though, a lot of information about her has been lost over the time she had reigned."

Lelouch took the book, giving her a grateful smile. "I will take it."

She nodded, and Lelouch fished out a white coin from his pockets, handing it over to her. The girl choked on the air after taking a deep breath.

"I-I don't think I can take that!" she said. "I don't have enough to give you back change-"

"It's alright," Lelouch said. "I will take some other books as well."

And when the sun goes down, he would have to replay everything again. Taking a deep breath, he looked around, walking through the store and picking up half a dozen books, each one thicker than the next before walking towards the exit.

"This is still too much!" Isabella said. Lelouch smiled at her.

"What you gave me is a lot more valuable, Isabella," he said. The girl went red as she balled a fist over the coin. Leaving the shop, Lelouch sighed.

The children's book first. If he learned something useful, he could walk back in and get more books. Opening the first book, he went through the pages until he came to a familiar name.

"Satella, the Witch of Envy," he read. At least she wasn't a glutton like a witch back home. Scrolling through most of the purple prose that seemed to be aimed at adults much more than children, Lelouch found the most important information rather quickly. "After murdering the six other witches, Satella went on a rampage, destroying half the world."

So there used to be more than just her. Yet, all the people he met called her 'The' Witch, so the information about her killing the other six seemed accurate enough. A dangerous being, and feared by many for a reason.

It had no information on how she destroyed it besides mentioning something called 'Mabeasts'.

"They say Satella takes the form of a silver-haired half-elf…" Lelouch thought back to Lia. It seems she had been born under a rather unfortunate star. For someone who was a candidate for the royal election, this probably meant she was disadvantaged. That was pretty much all the information he could glimpse of it.

The last thing that caught his attention, however, was the end of that particular story.

"Satella was eventually defeated at a great loss of lives," Lelouch read, whispering the story to himself. "The names of these heroes were Reid Astraea the Sword Saint, and his allies, the revered Dragon Volcanica, and Flügel the Sage."

So that's where the dragon came from. The Dragon Kingdom was named after this particular dragon, it seemed.

The sun was nearing the point where the sky would turn red, and Lelouch grabbed the next book. Information about the noble families of this kingdom.

It took him exactly one second to recognize the name that the first chapter dealt with. It was not the family of the king, no, instead, it was the name from the children's book: Astraea.

The Sword Sage's bloodline was still alive. If they were as powerful as their ancestor, then looking for them might not be a bad idea. The book spoke of Astraea's descendants becoming knights, using their skills to protect the country more than dealing with the things most nobles did.

Which, in Lelouch's opinion, was sit on their asses and suck up to the king. It seems that the nobles here were a bit more benevolent than Britannian scum. Though from what he saw of the middle aged women, some of them seem to think themselves more important than the common folk nonetheless.

Looking for more names he could recognize, Lelouch eventually found Mathers, the name that Isabella had mentioned about a man with all magical affinities.

Slowly, he learned more. About the kingdom, about the people, the nobles, even the Dragon.

The sun was going down, and Lelouch felt himself grow uneasy. He had to die to reset. If he had a gun, it would be over in a second, but the best he could get here would probably be a sword, and that would be painful. No building looked high enough to jump off from.

Taking a deep breath, Lelouch left the books lying on the ground where he sat down and stood, walking down the side street. There were many shops selling all kinds of weapons around, just as many as shops for food.

Grabbing the coin from inside his pocket, Lelouch walked into one of them. It was hot inside, way too hot, and Lelouch could almost see the air distorting near the red hot flames of the blacksmith's workshop further in. The small bell that rung as he walked in was enough to make the hammering stop, and a few minutes later, a stout woman stepped out of the workshop.

Lelouch didn't talk. All he did was grab a long dagger and move the coin over the counter. The woman blinked, but did not protest like Isabella had as he just walked out.

He was Lelouch vi Britannia. He had looked into the eyes of death three times already. Even though every fiber of his body screamed against pointing the dagger towards his chest, he walked into an alley and did. Poking into his skin through the clothes, he aimed in between his ribs, towards his heart.

He clicked his tongue.

C.C. would be very amused.

* * *

"Oi, you having a stroke there?"

Lelouch stood up, grabbing his chest in pain as the feeling of the dagger subsided. Compared to the pain that he felt after the raven haired woman was done with him, this was nothing, and it left twice as fast.

Step one to learn some magic. Grab a mage.

Not even saying anything to Kadomon, Lelouch immediately rushed towards Aziz's jewelry, certain that he would be able to get information about what disgusted the mage the last loop or at least ask him what his affinity is.

Not quite kicking the door open, but still drawing a lot of attention towards him with his hasty entrance, Lelouch watched the reaction of the mage. He didn't get that same look. What had changed? His eyebrows furrowing, Lelouch approached the man with slow steps, and everyone in the shop stopped paying attention to him.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said, slightly out of breath. The man in the pointed hat turned to him. "Are you a mage?"

He had tanned skin and shoulder length teal hair, his nose rather large in proportion to the rest of his face, and the dark robes he wore seemed to glow slightly.

"Yes," the man said. "I am an apprentice mage of the great master Michel-"

"Can I meet him?" Lelouch asked. The mage blinked, giving Lelouch a once over and shrugging.

"Why?" he asked.

"I wish to learn magic," Lelouch said. The mage scoffed. "I only wish for him to hear me out, I can pay you if you bring me to him."

"Pay me, with what?" he asked. Despite his words, Lelouch could see a glimmer in his eyes, and from the looks of Lelouch's robes, the man must be assuming he did have quite some coin.

"How does one gold coin sound?" Lelouch asked. The mage grinned.

"Sure, only bring you to him, though, you'll need to talk with him on your own."

"Of course."

Lelouch moved to the old man with a lisp, taking the two emeralds off his hat and handing them over to them, spinning the story of the artisan village again and taking four gold coins instead of two sacred gold.

Stepping back towards the mage, Lelouch handed him a gold coin and smiled as the man pocketed it, moving towards the exit. Lelouch followed after him. It didn't take very long to reach a large building that was actually standing closer to the ghettos than the residential district. The construct of stone looked almost unnatural compared to the rest of the buildings nearby, and the way it was built made Lelouch wonder if it was magic.

The mage he had paid moved through a larger gate towards the building, motioning for Lelouch to follow him. When they reached the door, the man knocked on it.

"Open up!" he shouted. "It is Harald, open the door, I have a guest for the master!"

The door opened slightly, and a small child peeked out. No, not a child. In the light of the sun, he could see the form of a child, but the being in front of him was not human. It was a construct of earth, like a robot, but looking strangely alive. It opened the door further when it saw Harald and Lelouch, before stepping away.

Harald didn't even give it a second glance as they stepped in.

"Wait here," Harald said. Lelouch nodded, leaning against a wall while observing the child of dirt and clay. It looked at him in what could be curiousity, before turning towards a staple of books and lifting them up. The construct was a lot stronger than the first glance would have made him assume.

Something like this could be helpful, and Lelouch hoped that an earth affinity might allow him to create such a construct on his own.

The interior looked plain, the bookshelves on the side next to two wooden doors were simply made to hold books, and not look good while doing so. Harald walked up the stairs right across the entrance, towards a higher floor and out of sight.

A few minutes after the construct sorted all the books in a nearby shelf and set itself against the wall like Lelouch, mirroring him exactly, a man walked down the large stairs in the middle of the room. He was old, a trimmed white beard on his chin and eyes that spoke of experience. Compared to his student, he was dressed more like ordinary people outside. It wasn't the image of a mighty master mage that Lelouch had assumed.

"My student said a guest was here to speak with me," he said. The old man, Michel, grabbed something out of his pockets - a pair of glasses. Putting on the plain glasses, the old man continued his descent until he reached Lelouch.

The former emperor bowed.

"Hello, sir," Lelouch said. "I am Lelouch Lamperouge, and wish to study magic."

"Magic, you say? Hm…" the old man walked around Lelouch, humming as he stared. "Do you even know if you are capable?"

"Excuse me?" Lelouch asked. "I was under the assumption that everyone was capable of using magic."

"It is a common misconception, I admit," Michel said. "Magic in in everyone. But some people are born without affinity, rare, but possible. A person is already considered well off with the affinity to fire, water, wind or earth."

"And if one does not have the affinity?" Lelouch asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Then learning magic is futile, because you simply have no talent," he said. "The other possibility is that you cannot open your Gate, but there is a magical artifact that forces it open. Last I've heard it went on the market for around 25 sacred gold… it's how talentless nobles try to gain power nowadays."

"I see," Lelouch said. That wouldn't do. There was no way he could gather together so much money in one day. "I was not actually here to learn magic from you, sir, I wanted to find out if I had an affinity, and if I could open my Gate to use it."

"Ah, yes, yes, I see," the old man nodded. "Rickard, please, prepare some tea."

The child-like construct nodded and went through the door to the left. Michel moved towards the door on the opposite side.

"Follow me, young Lelouch," he said. Lelouch did, trailing after the old man as they entered a room. It was something akin to a study, with a lot of gadgets sitting on the desk rather than books. The old man threw all of them on the ground, and sat down at a large desk. "Please, sit down."

Lelouch looked around, but found no other chair. The old man seemed to realize his mistake and waved his hand, creating a chair out of stone that grew out of the ground.

"Impressive," Lelouch said.

"Simple transfiguration of already existing earth is not 'impressive'," the old man said, sounding annoyed. "But I digress, say, young Lelouch, do you know anything about affinities? How many are 'normal'?"

Lelouch shook his head. "I admit, I was unaware of practical magic until a few days ago. The woman who taught me seemed a bit… uninformed of the world."

"Oh?"

"She was an elf, and apparently not used to the city," Lelouch explained. The old man hummed loudly.

"Interesting, yes, elves are all gifted in magic, that might be where the mistake came from," he said. "There are six affinities, having one is not unusual. Having none is rare, and mostly crops up in certain races who balance it out with sheer physical strength."

"And having two? Or more?"

"Unless your name is Roswall L. Mathers," Michel said. "Then you are, at most, capable of holding five affinities. The probability of that is so low, however, that you might hit the 'no affinity' lottery earlier. Having one affinity is the most likely, having two means you are definitely gifted. Having three is incredible rare and it would not be unusual for you to have a blessing."

"So one or two are the most likely," Lelouch mused. "And the four normal elements are the most likely?"

"Yes, having one of them makes life easier. Imagine someone like me doing work in the field, using my magic to help raise crops."

"I imagine that would earn you a lot of money," Lelouch said. The old man chuckled.

"It did," he said. "That way people who work hard and learn a lot can make a career. People become healers, soldiers, farmers, and earn so much money they could easily buy themselves land and with the favor of the current king, be declared a noble."

"Are you a noble, sir?" Lelouch asked.

"No, I have no need for titles, all I want is to live my life to the fullest, and die in peace," he said before breaking out in laughter. "But that will be a while!"

Lelouch laughed softly, shaking his head. "What about Yin and Yang?"

"Those are rare," he said. "And while rare, not as useful as the other four. There are few who specialize in them."

"So one needs the ability to open the Gate, an affinity, and they can learn magic?" Lelouch asked. "Just like that?"

"Of course, talent is also important. Affinities can be stronger or weaker, it's a connection that has a thicker or a thinner string."

"I see," Lelouch said, a hand coming up to touch his chest. "Could you tell me if I had such an affinity and how powerful it is?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you about its power," he said. "For a mage like me, the affinity is most I can tell you. Spirits and incredibly powerful mages could compare your affinity to their absolute strength, I'm just a talentless vagabond!"

The last sentence was shouted with howling laughter. Lelouch's eyebrow twitched. A bit later, the construct, Rickard, entered and put a tray with tea on the table.

"Of course, you would have to convince me first," Michel said, his voice taking a more serious tone. "Why should I tell you what affinity you have instead of just letting you go through the hoops of finding out on your own?"

Lelouch chuckled.

"I suppose a man of your caliber doesn't have need for an extra gold coin or two," Lelouch said. "So let me be frank with you - I'm weak and a person prone to put himself in danger."

"Why that? If you wished to relax and take life easy, why not just do that?"

"Because there are people who need my help," Lelouch said smoothly. People whose debts he could collect if necessary. "And I know they are in danger."

"And you believe that you can learn magic fast enough, the nuances of the arcane arts… you think you can learn it so quickly?" he asked. Lelouch grimaced.

"If I have to," he said, thinking not to Lia and Felt, but to his friends and family. "If I needed to destroy my body and take limb after limb off to protect the people I need to protect, I would do so without a second thought."

The old man's eyes were hard. Michel stared at Lelouch with an intensity that was comparable to the murderer's stare. Lelouch wanted to shrink away from the scrutiny, but held firmly, glaring back at the man.

"A life lived in half-truths won't bring you happiness, young Lelouch," Michel said, pouring the tea into two cups. Lelouch couldn't keep the frown of his face. "But I understand that your conviction is real. Say, young Lelouch, are you aware of what happens when you mess up with magic?"

"You can become exhausted so much that you can't move and might die from dehydration if your body locked up," Lelouch said. Michel nodded, grabbing a spoon and the sugar on the tray.

"Indeed, it's dangerous, but there is more," he said. "The wrong kind of spell might kill you if you make a mistake, dabbling with magical items you are attempting to create can blow up in your face. The life of a mage is a slow one, because we have to be careful."

"And if you end up using your magic in the middle of a populated place," Lelouch muttered, thinking back to Puck's spears. "Then you might end up hitting people you don't want to."

"You're not as foolish as I thought, then, you are aware of the consequences," Michel said. Lelouch took a sip of the tea, it was delicious. Michel filled his cup with the fifth spoon of sugar before stirring. "Have you ever had an unfortunate accident involving magic?"

"Yes," Lelouch said, grabbing his chest again. The spears weren't as bad as being gutted, but it was not pleasant in the slightest. "Which does remind me. I have once met a mage…"

"Oh? Was it Theodore from the mage knights-"

"No," Lelouch interrupted, his fingers digging into his robe. "I don't know what kind of mage he was, but he had a most peculiar reaction. When he caught sight of me, he turned away in disgust, and as he moved away from me, I heard him mutter something about the smell of the Witch."

The teacup fell the fingers of Michel, fortunately only a millimeter above the table. It still spilled some of the tea across the table.

"The Witch's Scent, you say?" Michel said, the hardness in his eyes returning. "Such an accusation should not go unchallenged-"

"What does it mean?" Lelouch asked.

"Most mages, deep into their studies, learn that the Witches had servants," Michel explained. "Granting them a part of their powers for their servitude. It is not unlike the covenant to the Dragon our nation has, or even learning from a master mage and managing to reach certain points faster because the teacher had breakthroughs that allowed him to simplify the process of learning."

"And the accusation of holding the Witch's scent?" Lelouch said, a question apparent in his tone.

"A disgusting matter," he said. "These people wouldn't be hunted down without a just cause, but it causes trouble. Don't worry, though, if the Witch's scent was on you, I would smell it."

"Can all mages do so?" Lelouch asked. Was the murderer one? She didn't use any magic he could see.

"Mages, monsters and certain races with an inherent magical ability," he said. "Monsters are drawn to the Witch's Scent."

"I see," Lelouch said. He could make his own theory from that. Obviously, something put the Witch's Scent on him before the monster of a woman walked into the room. The next loop, he still had it on him.

That was when Harald turned away from him in disgust. But one loop later…

Who did he speak to that day? Nobody, he walked to the ghetto. The only people he had a conversation with was Rom and Felt. The conversation he had…

Lelouch swallowed, his chest tightening. He didn't forget it, of course, but that it had something to do with it? The hands that nearly crushed his heart when he talked to Rom about his power?

"Could I ask you one last question," Lelouch said. "The Witch of Envy, what kind of magic did she use?"

"The Witches' magic is beyond normal affinities," Michel explained. "Satella, as far as I recall the old books, was capable of summoning over two-thousand black hands that she used to fight with, she was truly an overwhelming monster…"

Lelouch clicked his tongue. The first piece of a way too large puzzle fell into place.

"Truly frightening," Lelouch said, grinding his teeth slightly. "I'll be sure to call the man out on his behavior the next time I meet him."

"You should." Michel nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "So, young Lelouch, do you wish to learn?"

"Yes," Lelouch said. Finally.

"Then take my hand," he said, putting the tea down. "I can tell you that way. Excuse me, but my age has slowed me down on that front, so I will need to take it easy."

Lelouch took the man's offered hand and watched in fascination as absolutely nothing interesting happened. The old man closed his eyes.

"Your affinity with fire is nonexistent," he said. Lelouch's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Water, nonexistent."

So no healing. That was bad, but he could still deal as long as he had something.

"Earth, nonexistent." So no magical constructs. "Wind, nonexistent. Yin, nonexistent. I admit, young Lelouch, I don't think I've ever seen someone with absolutely no connection to any other elements-"

Lelouch scowled. He was about to let go of the hand when the old man grabbed on tight, making him grunt in pain.

"There we go," he said. "Yang. While I can't say on what scale, it seems to be quite the strong connection."

"I see," Lelouch said, smiling slightly. At least something. "And my Gate can be opened?"

"Yes," he said. "I'll guide you through the process in a bit. Do you know what Yang magic is about?"

"Not quite," Lelouch said. "Would you care to elaborate, sir?"

"I'm not a good person on the matter," Michel admitted. "Yang is the element of enhancement. As with any element, it can be used offensively and defensively, of course. Most people who create magical items are Yang mages."

"Interesting," Lelouch said. "Things like making swords that can cut through steel like it was butter, or increase physical strength of themselves or allies?"

Michel nodded, grinning at Lelouch.

"I suppose all that worry about not having an affinity was getting to you, hm?"

"What worry?" Lelouch said, his smile going wide. Michel chuckled, shrugging. A few minutes later, the tea was gone.

"Due to your age, opening your gate will be problematic," he said. "Most people start young, and work on it slowly. So the older you are, the worse the consequences of using magic without hesitation."

"What about a mage who uses spirits?"

"Those also use their gates, but differently to us normal mages," Michel said. "They use mana from the atmosphere and can summon spirits to help them by going into a covenant with them."

So Lia was a bit different, of course, she was so young and still incredibly powerful with Puck on her side.

"Also, their strength depends on the spirit they're contracted to. So if they contract a powerful spirit, they just cheat the entire process and become powerful quickly."

That explained it. So Puck was that strong, hm? Michel didn't really seem too happy about it.

"And how easy is it to find a spirit to enter a covenant with?"

"So close to nil that you might as well have started searching fifty years ago."

Lelouch shrugged. It seems that there were more things about Lia that he didn't know. "I see, so how would we go about opening the Gate?"

"That's actually rather simple," Michel said, standing up. He moved around the desk, and used his hand to force the chair around, making Lelouch face him. "Usually, a mage of the same element could use their own mana to knock it open and let you use a spell. It's something of an initiation, and gives you some practical knowledge on how to use the spell."

"And in my case?" Lelouch asked.

"There is a simple spell of Yang that I am capable of, it's one that creates shards of light which illuminate the way ahead," he said. "It should be a Fire spell, but I managed to replicate it with most other elements, as horrible as I am with them. Memorize the incantation, it's 'Lox'."

Lelouch's eyebrows twitched, it sounded incredibly close to Latin 'Lux'. With the word 'Lox', sparks appeared, half a dozen just shining and swirling around Michel's hand. When the lights vanished, Michel took a hold of Lelouch's head.

"Visualize your mana," he said. "Imagine a sphere of hot energy inside you, ready to spill over."

Lelouch closed his eyes and concentrated. Meditating wasn't hard for him. Taking a deep breath, he followed the instructions of the old man.

"To expel the mana from your body, you have to open your gate. It is a blockade, a cork, whatever you imagine it as, make sure you imagine it as something that can open or be removed."

Right above his navel, something hot began to gather.

"Say the incantation while forcing your mana to flow through the gate, I will help you force it open."

"Lox," Lelouch said, pushing the hot energy forward. A loud noise echoed through the room, and Lelouch closed his eyes as bright light appeared everywhere around him.

"Concentrate on it moving to your hand, not your head," he said. Lelouch felt drained, but still stronger than before. Following the instruction, the bright light left his head and he could open his eyes, holding the bright sparks around his hands. "Not bad, but you really need more practice if you start looking like a corpse by using just one spell."

Lelouch chuckled. So this is mana. Magic. He could use it, it was a power he earned himself without a contract, without paying, simply by holding a conversation.

"Thank you," Lelouch said, his voice sounding distant in his tired state.

"No problem, you might want to rest a bit, I will have more tea made-"

"It's quite alright, sir," Lelouch said, standing up on uneasy feet. "I might have one last favor to ask, for a bit of information."

"A Yang mage to teach you, hm?" Michel said, as if he could read Lelouch's mind. "That might be a problem. I believe the closest one is outside of the city."

"Ah, that's too bad," Lelouch said, holding his chest as his breathing finally slowed. "Do you know where I might be able to buy books for self study?"

"That'd be unwise," he said. "I will tell you, if you promise to bring them to me and learn here, rather than alone. I wouldn't want someone I taught to die so foolishly."

"Of course, sir, I promise," Lelouch said, bowing.

"Haha, you're a polite one, at least! Call me Master Michel, you're my student from now on!"

Lelouch smiled slightly. Only until the loop resets. "The books, Master Michel?"

"There is a magic market," Michel said. "It's heavily regulated due to the items that are sold, so they placed it close to the knight headquarters. You need to show that you are capable of magic to be let in."

"I see, that's… great," Lelouch stumbled towards the door. "Thank you, again, I cannot express just how much you have helped me today. I shall meet you here after finding some books."

"Are you sure you do not wish to rest for a while longer?" Michel asked. Lelouch shook his head. The sun was already going down.

"No," Lelouch said. "There is something I have to do before the sun goes down."

"Alright, I won't hold you." The master smiled widely. "Godspeed."

Lelouch chuckled slightly. Despite himself, he couldn't help but like the man, even if his mood swings were a bit concerning.

But his way was not towards the magic market. Instead, Lelouch walked into the next blacksmith shop he could find and bought a dagger.

He really needed to find a more painless way.

* * *

Lelouch felt refreshed, and he stood up the moment he heard the "Oi".

Breathing in deeply as he hurried towards the red building, Lelouch was content to find out that the gate remained 'open'. He was still capable of feeling the strange energy that Michel had called mana, and it seemed to give him just a slight boost to his body.

It was enough for him not to be completely out of breath by the time he sold the gems and got his two sacred gold coins for them. While he didn't feel particularly happy about having to kill himself twice by now, Lelouch felt that he was making progress.

And on the road of progress, hesitation would throw one back.

The residential district seemed rather… pompous. The buildings were large, all kinds of beautiful homes gathered near the knight headquarters. A stark contrast to the ghettos in the opposite direction. The difference between poor and rich was still noticeably large.

It didn't take him very long to find the magical market afterwards. There were soldiers, dressed in classic armor and standing guard everywhere. If they didn't rush after the middle aged woman called them, at this distance to the ghetto, it was probably impossible for them to reach them quick enough.

None of the knights actually wore a white uniform, however. So these weren't the Royal Guard, which means they weren't as strong as Puck had stated.

Following the strangely warm feeling of mana, Lelouch found a warehouse where the market was and stepped forward. Two men in armor stopped him.

"Exclusive market," one of them said, the helmet hiding his features.

"Lox," Lelouch intoned, and focused on using the least amount of mana possible to avoid draining himself. He was successful, though still felt the drain as two lights sparkled in front of his palm. The two men nodded and moved out of the way. The small door inside was plain, but the interior of the warehouse was magical.

Lelouch could see hundreds of people, dressed in robes, dressed in plain clothes, the power in this room was noticeable. It was like the murderer, an electricity in the room he couldn't explain. The strange warmth he felt in his body surrounded him this time, existing inside each person here.

"Newbie, over here," someone called out. Lelouch turned to them. A small woman sat there, maybe reaching up to his hip if she stood, but even smaller on the chair. "You're gonna learn some rules of this place, aight?"

Lelouch nodded. "Of course."

"Three important laws. First: Magical beasts, don't buy them, don't sell them. If you find someone trying to hook you up, call the guard."

"Are these the 'mabeasts'?" Lelouch asked.

"Can be," she said. "Sometimes people sell eggs too, and it ends up being the egg of some demi-human clan. You don't wanna know what happens when a hungry harpy baby hatches in the night and finds you sleeping in bed."

Lelouch shuddered. He could imagine.

"Second law: Do not steal. I shouldn't have to say that, but stealing is dangerous here. The place has been enhanced, it will drain you and increase the power of the shopkeeper you try to steal from so you're at their mercy. If you're powerful enough that this won't be a concern, you're welcome to try escaping when everyone is after your ass."

Lelouch laughed slightly, realizing that she wasn't joking at all.

"Last but not least, don't sign anything, don't give any verbal promises besides buying something, be very careful," she said. "There are some mages here who might abuse something like that, and we don't want people running to us crying about how they can't fix their own mess. Want to fuck up your life and shake someone's hand in brotherhood only for them to stab you in the back, do it outside."

"I understand," Lelouch said. "Thank you for the introduction. My name is Lelouch. Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Don't care, young one, welcome to Lugnica's Magical Market, fried salamander eggs taste like shit."

With that last part of wisdom, the woman waved him off, and Lelouch sighed, looking around. "One last question-"

"Piss off."

"Alright."

Lelouch left, moving through the mass of mages. If he were a shop for magical tomes that contained arcane knowledge, where would he hide? Lelouch wasn't sure. The strange items he saw around seemed to be boiling over with magic, all these enhancements that might be useful if he knew what the did.

Lelouch sighed again as he reached the end of the warehouse, and turned left, to explore the other side.

"Out of the way," he heard. Instead of waiting for him to move out of the way, he was knocked aside, barely managing to keep his footing. Glaring at the person, Lelouch found himself staring at a young woman with orange-blonde hair and red eyes. "Oh my, a commoner glaring at me with such intensity, whatever did I do to deserve this?"

A man stepped forward, towering over the woman with a large sword strapped on his back and scars covering his body. He seemed to be missing an arm, and a helmet hid his entire head.

"Absolutely nothing, miss," Lelouch said. He knew how to play the courts. He knew how to play the nobles. "I'm afraid that I have confused you for someone else."

His late brother. One of them. The way her eyes moved over the crowds with such arrogance and scrutiny, the way her blood red dress swayed around when she did the most simple of motions.

He couldn't tell if she was closer to Clovis or Schneizel.

"Mistake me for someone?" she asked, her voice condescending. "Me? Priscilla Barielle? You, fool, speak your name."

Lelouch recognized the name from the book about noble families he read.

"Lelouch Lamperouge, miss," he introduced himself. The large man reacted, bowing slightly to whisper something into Priscilla's ear. He couldn't make it out over the chattering of the crowd around them, but Priscilla nodded. Scrunching up her nose, Priscilla made the best impression of someone who had just smelled something foul that Lelouch had ever seen.

"Very well, Lamperouge, I shall remember your name," she said. "The world was made for me, and I have no place for people like you here."

"Of course," Lelouch said. If he walked away now, she would simply snap at him. Whatever the man with the helmet had said, it seemed to have taken the edge of her voice.

Priscilla Barielle. A name to remember.

* * *

It took Lelouch well over an hour to walk in between the masses of people to find a shop that held books. Many of them color coded for convenience, Lelouch realized that the black and white books that probably held information about Yin and Yang magic were scarce.

So scarce, in fact, that he only saw one white book and two black ones compared to the dozen or so red, green, blue and brown.

Approaching the shopkeeper, a tall but thin man sitting inside what looked like a small tent, Lelouch knelt to be at an eye level with him.

"Welcome... to my humble shop," the man said, speaking slowly. "What are you looking for?"

"I have recently learned that my affinity lies in Yang magic," Lelouch said. "How much for the white book?"

"Six gold coins," the man said. "It is a rare tome, made by a son who was the student of someone who had once learned from the second cousin of the Sage Flügel."

Lelouch didn't really care who wrote it, but he needed it.

"I'm afraid I can't go over two coins," Lelouch said, smiling slightly. "With that much gold, I might as well afford a trip to the next master mage who can teach me."

"Hmmm…" the man nodded. "Five gold pieces then?"

"Four," Lelouch said. "And I'll even give you this hat."

The man looked at Lelouch's hat with the red glass sphere inside. Shrugging, the man offered his hand. Lelouch shook it.

Handing over the two coins of sacred gold and his hat, Lelouch left with the white tome in his hands, exiting the warehouse quickly. Looking around, Lelouch found a spot not too far off from the warehouse. The castle was visible in the distance.

Opening the book, Lelouch began to read.

Yang magic, the magic of enhancing, was an amplifier. It could, theoretically, be used to give a magical property to a normal object. Cutting into stone with a sword, or even creating a strong gust of wind with a fan.

The study in magic was interesting. It was new. Learning as much as he could as the sun began to set above him, Lelouch grinned.

The first spell on the list might actually be useful. It allowed him to see further, and better, and it could be used in the night as well to grant him a better vision. He didn't really wish to practice them right now, not before he memorized the explanations on how to cast them and confirmed that he could easily call out their names without a second thought.

A shield spell. A spell to make his body faster. A spell to make his voice louder. Where Yin made people weaker, Lelouch could make them, and himself, stronger. He felt a certain sense of happiness, maybe a bit of glee. It was the ability that, without a doubt, was fit for a ruler.

So absorbed in his reading, Lelouch didn't notice someone approach the open field where he began his studying until the sun had set and Lelouch was halfway through the tome. When Lelouch turned to the sound of grunting, he found a red haired man, punching a tree.

Or through a tree.

Lelouch couldn't help but stare at the display of physical skill, the man was powerful, and from the looks of his white uniform, finally a person who could help him.

The sun was already too far down to reach it in time, so Lelouch had only one chance.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said, walking up to the man. He stopped punching, and touched the tree, slowly regenerating it back.

"Yo!" the man said, a large grin on his face. He had something refreshing about him. An aura that made Lelouch relax.

"Are you one of the Royal Guard?"

"Yes," the man nodded. "I'm having a day off, but if you need me, I can help you."

Lelouch smiled. Perfect. "I just wanted to ask, I think I've seen you earlier today, afternoon, I think."

"Ah, maybe?" he said. "I was walking around the market district, buying groceries. There's that really nice shop with a lot of grilled meats!"

Lelouch remembered where that was. He blinked. Had he missed him this easily? Of course, the man said he was on his day off, and maybe he wasn't in uniform at that time.

"I see, I will have to try it as well," Lelouch said, his stomach growling. The red-haired man laughed.

"You can have some of mine, I bought a lot of it," he said, grabbing a bag from next to the tree. "I'm Reinhard van Astraea, by the way."

"Lelouch Lamperouge," he introduced himself, his heart jumping in joy and his stomach celebrating. He had no money to buy himself a knife and go into an alley. He would have to hurry later. But for now, Lelouch enjoyed some food with the man who might be able to end that damn loop of his.

Reinhard van Astraea. In spite of death, he finally found someone that could keep him alive.

* * *

"Oi, you having a stroke."

Lelouch clicked with his tongue as he woke up. Holding his chest and neck, he cursed the damn blacksmith who tried to keep him from bleeding out by apparently strangling him to unconsciousness while wrestling the knife out of his hands. Fortunately, Lelouch was able to blind him long enough to die.

It was a rather morbid thing to think about, but Lelouch could finally relax slightly. Taking his time, Lelouch hid the two gems and moved towards the red building with slow steps. Muttering under his breath, Lelouch tried to use the spell to enhance his eyes.

'Luris' was the incantation. There were 'stronger' versions of spells by increasing the incantations using different syllables, he learned. While the book only held six spells and went into a great detail on how these spells were created, by whom, and how the author had improved them, Lelouch felt that these seven spells he memorized were a key to success. Lelouch felt the mana move towards his eyes.

When a yellow blur sprinted past him on the way towards the grilled food shop, Lelouch grinned, recognizing Felt clearly. Opening the door to the shop after greeting the woman who was grilling outside, Lelouch found Reinhard quickly, capable of taking in the sight with a glance.

He was sitting at a table, eating a plate of the grilled potatoes he had brought to the open place. Half a dozen empty plates were sitting next to him.

"Excuse me," Lelouch said, sitting down across him. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you Reinhard van Astraea?"

The man swallowed the hot potatoes without much concern of his tongue and nodded, giving him the same easy going grin that Lelouch had received the last loup.

"I am, is everything alright? You seem rather pale," he said. Lelouch let go of the spell in his eyes, and the magic he used did indeed tire him out slightly.

"Yes, it's just… I've witnessed something strange today, and wished to bring the matter up to the Royal Guard, unfortunately, all of them are in the castle…"

"I see," Reinhard said, looking surprised. "And you found me, how lucky! I'm on my day off, but if you really need my help, I can't refuse."

Lelouch smiled. That man reminded him of Suzaku in a way.

"What happened?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch thought back to Felt and the emblem.

"A thief stole something from a young woman," Lelouch explained. "It was an emblem with a red gem in the middle."

Reinhard narrowed his eyes slightly. It was a strange look on the man's face, something that seemed rather hostile.

"Ah, I see, and you wish for me to retrieve that object?"

"Well, of course, but," Lelouch hesitated, biting his lip, trying his best to seem nervous as he looked around. The tiredness due to his mana use helped immensely. "When the thief touched the emblem, it began to glow."

Reinhard blinked. "Ah."

"Yes, quite," Lelouch said, nodding. He was still dressed like a noble with his hat and clothes, so knowing what the emblems were for wasn't too far off, unless Reinhard knew all the nobles in the city by face and name. "I had wondered if you were capable of dealing with the matter in a more… secretive way."

"I understand," Reinhard says. "Could you describe the girl that stole the emblem?"

"Blonde," Lelouch said. "Fierce, like an animal rather than a princess, and dressed in very revealing clothes. She looked about fifteen, maybe fourteen."

Reinhard nodded. "So it's not Priscilla, right?"

"Priscilla?" Lelouch asked.

"There are five royal candidates," Reinhard says. "Four were known by now, Priscilla Barielle, Emilia of the elven forest, Crusch Karsten and Anastasia Hoshin. With the thief girl, it's five."

Emilia. So that was her name. And that blonde noble who had been so haughty and seemed to express danger with every step she took was one too.

It seems that the royal elections might be a bit more interesting than he thought with someone like Priscilla in the run.

"Ah." Lelouch nodded. "I admit, I wasn't aware of all the candidates. I only knew Emilia and this fifth one because I've seen them today."

"Alright," Reinhard said. "Do you know where the girl went?"

"Actually, I do," Lelouch said, smiling. "I'm capable of magic and was able to track her rush towards the ghetto. I think I might be able to find her hiding spot if necessary."

"Let's go then," Reinhard said. "I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves. I'm Reinhard van Astraea, one of the Sword Saint's descendants."

"Lelouch Lamperouge," Lelouch introduced himself once more. "Just a concerned citizen doing his job."


	4. Knight of Fate

**Chapter 4: The Knight of Fate**

* * *

"Why take it slow?" Reinhard asked as they left the shop, walking down the alley towards the ghettos.

"I know the ghettos rather well," Lelouch said, smiling. "And I know that they have spots to hide at or escape from when they see someone of your fame approaching."

"That's true." Reinhard nodded, following along. The reality was that Lelouch didn't really want the whole situation to be over before it began. There was still information to be extracted from the murderer, and he couldn't be sure that she would attack if she saw someone of the Sword Saint's lineage there.

Blood, Lelouch found, has a lot of power in this world. People inherited traits, sometimes even Blessings, and Reinhard here seemed to have hit the jackpot considering the very, very famous sword on his hip.

It was in the book about nobles and the children's book as well. A drawing of the Saint's Sword.

"It's just kind of strange," Reinhard commented, watching Lelouch. The red-haired man had a look on his face that Lelouch could only describe as child-like curiousity. "You look like a noble, talk and hold yourself like one, but I never heard of your family name."

"Hm?" Lelouch glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"And you say you're aware of the ghettos…" Reinhard trailed off. "Are you some disowned noble?"

Lelouch stopped. When he turned his head to stare at Reinhard, the man immediately waved his hands in front of him.

"No need to tell me if that makes you uncomfortable!" Reinhard all but shouted. "It was just a simple observation."

"It's alright," Lelouch said, taking a look around. There were less people the closer they got to the ghetto, but considering they've barely begun the walk, there were still a lot of them. "You just hit very close to home, I admit. I wouldn't consider myself a noble by anyone's standards."

"I'm sorry," Reinhard said, nodding towards Lelouch. "I just have the feeling that it might be fate that led you to me for a reason."

"Fate?" Lelouch asked, smiling. "You believe in something like that?"

"Perhaps it depends on your definition," Reinhard said, walking forward again. Lelouch followed suit, watching as people gave Reinhard awe-filled stares. "I know that Lady Barielle claims fate is 'all that happens is in her favor', while I would like to say that 'everything happens for a reason'."

Lelouch tried not to scoff. He couldn't tell if the man beside him was simply naive or if there was more to it. The way Reinhard could switch between serious and jovial reminded him of Michel, but he had a lot more control, and even while having an unnatural looking glare on his usually calm face, he gave off an aura of refreshment.

It seemed to be the opposite of that panic induced attention he was forced to pay towards his murderer.

"I suppose I would have to disagree," Lelouch said. Reinhard smiled.

"Many do," he said. "There is no such thing as fate, they tell me."

"Then they would be wrong," Lelouch said, smiling back. Reinhard blinked. "Of course, there is such a thing as fate."

"But you just-"

"I asked if you believed in it," Lelouch said, increasing the pace of their walk slightly. The buildings became less well-kept, but still numerous. "I disagree with your definition however."

"Why's that?" Reinhard asked.

"Because we make our own fate," Lelouch answered, throwing his hand to the side. "We are the masters of our fate, and we can choose which road to go."

"That's not a bad thought, really," Reinhard said. "I will keep that in mind."

Schooling his features into a calm look as they continued the walk to the ghetto, Lelouch began to plan. All he needed was to take the emblem after Reinhard took care of the murderer and bring it back to Emilia. Felt's life would be saved by him bringing Reinhard there, though he wasn't sure just how inclined a slum rat like Felt would be to repay her debt.

"I will try to talk to the thief," Lelouch said. "Maybe negotiate with her to meet you rather than just run away."

"Shouldn't I join the talk?"

"Royal Guard," Lelouch said. "Not the most welcome sight there."

"Right." Reinhard nodded, pursing his lips. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay out of sight until I give you a signal," Lelouch said. "I'll make a bright light inside, you should see it through the windows."

Reinhard nodded again. "If you think that's best, I'll go with that plan. Admittedly, I'm better at taking orders than giving them."

Lelouch had the feeling that the man was obscuring the truth somewhat.

"Say," Lelouch said. "Why haven't you just contacted the castle after I told you this?"

"It seemed urgent, and I'm technically on my day off," Reinhard said. "It probably would end up with them storming the entire ghetto and taking the possible dragon shrine maiden quickly."

"Dragon shrine maiden?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard blinked.

"You don't know?" he asked. "I mean, you knew about the royal election…"

"Yes, but the term is new to me, does it have to do with the election?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard nodded, looking towards the castle behind them as he kept walking forward.

"The reason that Lugnica's son isn't taking over the throne is because of a prophecy," Reinhard said. "Five maidens are chosen to become the ruler of the kingdom, one of them shall be selected. I may be paraphrasing it a bit, but the popular theory by the citizens is that the 'dragon shrine' in question is the kingdom. We do have a covenant with the Dragon after all."

"That explains the election rather than inheritance," Lelouch said. "I'm not outside very often, you only hear a few things that way."

"I can see that," Reinhard grinned at him. "Your arms are like sticks. You might want to pick up a sword and swing it a few times."

"Ahaha," Lelouch laughed softly, raising his hand. "The thought had crossed my mind, but I would rather train myself in magic first and foremost. I have the feeling it might be able to help me on my journey to make my own fate."

"A strong body fosters a strong mind," Reinhard said. "You might get less exhausted when you're fit, magic has a lot of factors."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lelouch said, smiling. If he had the time. Right now, he had that reset point that might drive him mad one day if he always ended up in the same spot. The only reason he kept killing himself was to avoid having a new 'zero' point just in case. As long as he died around the same time as the murderer killed him, he could be sure when to wake up.

Eventually, as the sun was still up in the sky but nearing the edge of the horizon, Lelouch and Reinhard arrived at the ghettos. The amount of people was sparse, barely any buildings were there, and those that were looked rundown.

"Alright, find a place to hide," Lelouch said. "That's the building over there. Keep it in your sight."

He had to hurry. Reinhard nodded, suddenly vanishing. Lelouch blinked. Did he become invisible? He moved his hand over the spot where Reinhard had been standing. Nothing there. Sighing, he moved towards the building and knocked loudly on the door.

"Large Rat!" he heard Felt shout from inside.

"Poison," Lelouch said. There was some hesitation before the next keyword came.

"White Whale."

"Fish Hook."

"You don't sound like my customer!" Felt shouted suddenly, throwing the door open after unlocking it. Glaring at him, she glanced towards his hat. "Old man Rom, there's some weirdo who knows the password!"

"Did ya tell him?" Rom said. Felt shook her head as if Rom could see it. "Did ya?"

"I didn't!" she said. "Who are you?"

"I'm here to speak with you," Lelouch said. "About the emblem you've stolen. Could I come in?"

"Rom he wants to come in," Felt shouted. Lelouch felt his ears ringing, the entire ghetto must've heard by now.

"Does he look rich?"

"Yes!"

"Then let him in, hear what he has to say."

Felt moved out of the way, and Lelouch stepped into the rundown building. No blood, the furniture still looked alright. Despite that, he felt slightly sick. This was where he died twice, after all.

Rom was sitting behind a counter, drinking a large bottle of something that smelled like vodka. He had a large club next to him, glaring at his entrance.

Felt sat down at the table that Rom and Lelouch had sat at before, and glared at him.

"So, what do you want?" she demanded. His eyebrows twitched. This was nobility, apparently. Someone who could potentially become the ruler of this country. Lelouch wasn't very impressed, but he knew that old habits died hard, and someone who has lived here in forever must be quite accustomed to the language the street rats used.

"I came here to warn you, actually," Lelouch said. "I caught glimpse of you stealing that emblem today. Are you aware of what it is?"

"Maybe?" she tried. Lelouch sighed. "I know it has something to do with those shitty nobles in the castle."

"Not quite," Lelouch said. Turning to Rom, he grimaced. "Do you know, old man Rom?"

"No, she didn't tell me what exactly she would steal," he said. "What's it to you?"

"It's the emblem of the dragon shrine maidens," Lelouch said, using the term that Reinhard had introduced him to. Rom frowned.

"Shit," he said. "And the Royal Guard is coming to get it back?"

"No," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "The problem isn't that she stole it, that's probably the least of it. The person who hired her to steal it, though, she's a dangerous criminal. Not a thief, but a murderer, and she doesn't seem to have much respect for the dragon shrine maidens."

"What does that have to do with us?" Felt asked. "I'll just sell it to her and be done with it. Murderer, thief, whoever pays the price gets it."

"You know how the emblem reacts to the touch of a maiden?" Lelouch asked Rom, ignoring Felt. She growled, her fists on the table.

"It glows, I heard," Rom said. "Pretty brightly too."

"Could you take the emblem out and put it on your palm?" Lelouch asked of Felt. She looked towards Rom, who had a worried look on his face. Felt grabbed the emblem out of her pocket, holding it in her hand.

The stone flared up with a blinding red light before becoming a soft glow.

"Fuck," Rom said. Felt looked at the large man, confused. "Felt, put that away, we can't have your client seeing it-"

Someone knocked on the door. The sun hadn't gone down yet. Lelouch blinked. Was it Reinhard? He couldn't be sure. He would have to contact him. Standing up, Lelouch watched as Rom moved towards the door, the club in hand. Before he could cast a spell towards the window, the door got thrown open by ice pillars.

It was Emilia. Looking very unhappy.

Before any fight between Rom and Emilia could break out, however, Lelouch drew the attention towards him.

"Lady Emilia," he said, smiling. That was great, if the events had changed so much already, Lelouch could avoid the murderer's twisted knives easily. Moving towards the door, he prepared to cast the Lox spell and call for Reinhard.

"Who are you?" she asked, glaring inside. She couldn't see Felt, who was still sitting behind them.

"My name is Lelouch-"

It was like time slowed down for a moment. He could feel a spike of energy, a twisted darkness that was similar to the dark hands that held his heart. The fact that his body unconsciously tried to move forward and out of the door.

Lelouch grabbed that feeling and smothered it. He held it down long enough to move forward, tackling Emilia onto the ground as the murderer appeared above them, cutting air.

"LOX!" Lelouch shouted. It was probably not necessary, considering what had just transpired in front of the door, but he had to make sure. Before the woman could continue kill them all, a knife struck her in the side, sending her flying.

The knife ripped through her mantle before it disintegrated.

"Well, it seems you were right, Lelouch," Reinhard said. Felt arrived next to them, staring at the large cut that had been drawn into the ground where the knife had flown forward.

"Could you get off me?" Emilia asked. Lelouch did so, standing up with heavy feet. He poured a bit too much into the spell, it seemed. "Thank you. You saved my life."

Lelouch nodded, accepting her thanks before staring towards the large dust cloud that had marked the spot of the murderer's impact.

"Northern swords," Reinhard commented. "And that black outfit of yours. You're Elsa Granhirte."

"What an honor," her voice echoed through the place. "To be recognized by one of the Sword Saint's lineage."

"Puck," Emilia said. The small cat spirit appeared in front of her. "Be careful."

"What happened?" Puck asked. Lelouch frowned.

"Too much to explain. Let's wait with the talk until we are finished here."

Lelouch raised his hand, ready to conjure up a shield if necessary. Reinhard didn't look very bothered as the woman stepped out, looking slightly bruised but otherwise okay. Her knives were in her hands, which hung limply on her sides.

Every step she took forward looked like a deranged animal stalking their prey, and Lelouch held one hand over his mouth as sickness spread through him.

"She makes me sick," Lelouch commented. Reinhard nodded.

"She doesn't seem to be quite human," he said, starting to smile. "You might have the ability to feel it. That's impressive!"

Of course he also had to be someone who could relax and give praises during a fight. Elsa appeared in front of Reinhard, almost driving her swords into his shoulders, the sudden burst of speed comparable to what Reinhard had displayed earlier. Lelouch took the backlines, as did Rom and Felt.

Having to dodge out of the way of a wide swing, blocked by Emilia and dodged by Reinhard, Felt stumbled over Rom, the emblem falling out of her pockets. Once again, Lelouch could feel where Elsa was about to appear. The disgust and attraction towards Felt's direction left him no choice.

"Sabal," he called out, the sixth and probably most advanced spell inside the tome. A knife appeared in the air just where Elsa appeared above Felt, attempting to cut her open.

The speed of Elsa's advance and Reinhard's charge led to a very deep wound as she all but flew into the knife, and Reinhard grabbed it in her chest before pushing further forward. Emilia and Puck followed up with large spears and pillars of ice crashing all around the woman.

Feeling the effects of casting three spells in one day, Lelouch's movements began to grow sluggish. Rom noticed, however, and helped him out, lifting him and Felt away from the fight, the emblem shining brightly in Felt's hands.

Reinhard smiled.

"I cannot let you harm them," Reinhard said. "So if you wish to get to them, you have to go through me."

"Ahhh…" she moaned, the fresh wound inside her chest from where the knife had stuck sizzling slightly. "A wound like this from just a knife. I will remember your face, mage, and you… ohhh…"

Elsa shivered in delight, holding her chest as she dodged the pillars of ice that Puck and Emilia threw at her.

"Draw it!" Elsa demanded. "Show me the power of the Sword Saint's sword!"

"This isn't a sword that would be used carelessly like this," Reinhard said. "You're not worth it. I will use my friend's dagger to kill you."

"Ahahahaha," she cut through one of the pillars that approached from behind, blood flowing down her dress. "I see, I seeeee! I wonder, van Astraea, are your guts as beautiful as you are?"

"I wouldn't know," Reinhard said. "I don't bleed."

He threw the knife, and even though she tried to dodge, Lelouch could see the air twist to make it hit. Lodging itself into her abdomen, Elsa keeled over.

"You're weaker than you should be," Reinhard commented. "Because the sun is still visible. I know what you are, Lelouch could smell it."

"Lelouch?" she asked, her hair hiding her face. "Ahaha…"

The soft chuckle became a mad laughter, her raven hair twisted all over her head as a large and teeth baring grin became visible, her eyes wide in glee.

The next pillar that Emilia and Puck used hit. She tried to dodge, but her arm was crushed against a building wall that fell apart after the hit. Lelouch could see the bone sticking out of the limb. Unable to muster up any strength to speak, Lelouch grinned at her.

She must have seen it, because she grinned back, and vanished, running away.

Reinhard sighed.

"I think I held back too much," Reinhard said. "Still! I'm glad you're all okay!"

"S-sir Reinhard!" Emilia said, the serious persona of battle vanishing in an instant. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me," he said, waving her off. "Thank him. He got you out of the way when I was too slow."

Emilia turned to Lelouch, who was hanging off Rom's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Thank you," she bowed to Lelouch, thanking him again.

"Hrk," Lelouch said, not able to open his mouth very far. Reinhard laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. It hurt.

"Hey," Rom said. "Knight. What will you do now?"

"Ah, I would like to invite you three to the castle for now," Reinhard said. Lelouch blinked, trying to form words with his mouth. Slowly, he opened it and asked.

"You… authority?"

Almost reading his mind, Reinhard smiled at him. "Yeah, I do. All Royal Guards have the authority to let someone in at the moment."

"No way," Felt said, hanging off Rom's shoulder as well. "I ain't going to mingle with your stinkin' nobles, go fu-"

"We could hear what he has to say," Rom said. "If we don't like it, we can simply leave."

Felt growled, but didn't talk back to the old man. Lelouch knew she respected Rom, but apparently she saw him as more than just an authority figure.

"I'm glad you agree," Reinhard said, moving towards Felt. Grabbing her hand, he fished the glowing emblem out of her hands and turned to Emilia. "Here you go, Lady Emilia."

"T-thank you," she stuttered, pocketing it. "I would like to ask you for a favor-"

"I won't tell anyone the exact details," he said, winking at her. "Don't worry. There is no need to give the nobles more of a reason to talk badly about elves, right?"

"Hell yeah!" Puck shouted, before yawning loudly. "I'm so sleepy…"

Lelouch just nodded, agreeing with the spirit.

"Shall we go, Lady Felt?" Reinhard asked. She glared at him. For some reason, he looked way too happy about it. Lelouch just closed his eyes.

 **\- ARC 1: Magic and Murder, END -**


	5. By Royal Decree

**Arc 2: Fun(d) Raising**

 **Chapter 5: By Royal Decree**

* * *

Lelouch awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling. His body felt light, and looking down, he found himself dressed in something entirely new. Preferring not to think about who exactly had stripped him to put the comfortable and yet rather expensive looking shirt and pants on him, Lelouch sat up, looking around.

It was a rather plain room, all things considered. Hardwood walls haven't been anything new since he arrived here, and the only thing impressive was the sheer amount of beds here. Rom sat on a bed next to him, the hulking man bending it with his weight.

"You awake, kid?" Rom inquired. Lelouch nodded, rubbing his eyes. "That's good. You were like dead weight when I carried you here."

The old man grinned widely, and Lelouch couldn't help but smile back at him.

"Where is here exactly?" Lelouch asked. Rom grunted in response, standing up. The bed made a loud creaking noise.

"The Royal Guard barracks, I think," Rom said. "That van Astraea kid told me to put you here, and I was kinda drunk, so I laid down as well."

"I see. And where is Lady Felt?" Lelouch noted her absence rather quickly. He had thought she might have been on the bed behind Rom, but none of the other beds had been occupied. All of them were in pristine condition, as if nobody had ever slept in them.

"Don't call her that to her face," Rom warned. Lelouch could imagine why that would go wrong. "The knight's trying to convince her to participate. You kinda brought that on upon us."

"I… apologize," Lelouch said, not sounding sorry at all. "I had been worried and might have called for Reinhard too quickly."

"If it wasn't for him, we'd be dead," Rom said. The man walked around the bed, towards the door that looked way too small for him to fit through. "So I'll forgive you this once. Still, I'm worried."

"About what?" Lelouch asked. He reckoned it was about Felt, of course, but if he could spin it right and alleviate those concerns, he might be able to win himself a well-meaning acquaintance.

"The whole royal election thing, the nobles," the old man answered. "Their political games and machinations. Felt isn't ready for something like that."

"Maybe not," Lelouch said. "But she does have Reinhard on her side. There's two likely scenarios here, no doubt."

Rom turned to him, looking ready to walk out of the door.

"Scenario one, Felt wins the election and can do whatever she pleases as the monarch without equal," Lelouch said. "She would have the Dragon on her side after all."

"That's true," Rom said, nodding along. Lelouch stood, pushing the sheets off him as he did and turned to make the bed look slightly less disheveled. "And the second?"

"She doesn't win, and if no noble family claims relations with her, she'll just go back to the slums with you."

He couldn't see Rom's face, but the way the large man hunched made it seem as if he was in thought. Rom's hand came up to his bald head, scratching it. "You think she'd be happy here?"

"I don't know why you're asking me of all people," Lelouch said. "But I admit, I don't have a very high opinion of nobility in general. I can't say if Lugnica's nobility is anything like the one I'm familiar with, however."

"You seem like the person who can give me the straightest answer," Rom responded, turning around. He stood not far, of course, but with his size, Lelouch still felt as if he was right next to him. "Where are you from anyway. Kararagi?"

Lelouch knew the name from the books he had read. Unfortunately, besides a few sparse descriptions about its leaders and the general direction from Lugnica, it wasn't a very good book about foreign entities. The most he knew about Kararagi was that it was the origin of a trading company called Hoshin, the same name that came up as one of the royal candidates.

"Somewhere around that," Lelouch lied. "I am sure that Reinhard will be more than enough to shield Lady Felt from the influence of the nobles."

"Why'd he do that?"

"I think there was something that caught his fancy," Lelouch said. Admittedly, it might have been the tiredness in the marrow of his bones that made it look like Reinhard had been simply fascinated by Felt's presence. There was the distinct possibility that Reinhard was more than he seemed, and in the face of a possible queen jumped on the chance to become her pillar in a strange new world where people were moved around as much as money.

Lelouch knew all about false appearances, after all, and yet Reinhard, for all his strength, seemed simpler than any man he had ever met.

It was refreshing. The word cropped up in Lelouch's mind whenever he thought about the red-haired knight.

Rom nodded at Lelouch's explanation, grinning as his thoughts probably moved to Felt.

"You were right by the way," Rom said. By this point, he had sat down on another bed and Lelouch had already finished straightening out the sheets on the one he had laid in. When Lelouch turned towards Rom with a quizzical look on his face, the man just nodded. "That Elsa chick, Reinhard mentioned they call her 'Bowel Hunter'. One of the world's most wanted criminals."

"How… apt," Lelouch said, thinking back to her rather rude introduction to his guts not too long ago. "I knew she was a murderer, but that nickname truly takes the crown."

"Aye. Fucking monsters."

Lelouch couldn't help but nod at the name he had called Elsa before. They sat in silence for a while before Rom began to tap his foot, crossing his arms over his hairy chest and growling.

Felt seemed to have gotten it from somewhere.

"I don't think we should just explore," Lelouch intoned. "Perhaps we should wait for someone to get us?"

"Idea's sound, but I don't have to like it," Rom said, irritated. "Felt's probably ready to cut everyone open by now to get to me."

"She seems like quite the volatile child," Lelouch noted. Rom grinned, taking it as a compliment. "You two are close?"

"I raised her," Rom said. That explained the trust between them. "Found her lying there in the slums, took her in. We're thieves, not heartless bastards."

"I never implied you were," Lelouch said. "I find that the people society looks down upon quite often have more depth than the superficial observations of the masses."

"Can't say I know what to make of you," Rom said. "But I owe you something for getting our asses out alive, so I suppose I'll have to be friendly."

Lelouch grinned wryly, his eyes half-lidded as he stared towards the door.

"Say, old man Rom," Lelouch said, using Felt's title for him. Rom raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't know where I could find a place to gamble myself a bit of money, do you?"

"You sure you want to end up losing everything you own?" Rom said, grinning back at Lelouch. "Criminals don't have much of an honor to keep up their end of the bargain."

"Yes, that's true," he said. But he had access to the castle right now, all he needed was a small starting capital. Maybe the two gems he still had… somewhere, would be enough. He would have to ask Reinhard where his robes went. "But I might need to warm up again, it has been a while since I scammed nobles out of their easy-earned money."

Rom's grin split his face even more.

"Kinda had the feeling we'd get along, kid," he said. Lelouch smiled. Appeal to the inherent hatred most poor people felt towards the rich and everything was said and done.

"But I do admit, I'm not very familiar with the games played here," he said. "As you said, I'm a foreigner."

"Well, there's some," he said. "Dragon poker is very popular in the gambling halls. Chess'd be another-"

"Ah," Lelouch said. "Chess I'm familiar with."

No matter the world, it seemed, no matter the magic, Lelouch could depend on chess. It seemed that no matter where nobility set its root, a game like chess would exist.

"Yeah, but none of the dirtbags in the gambling halls play it," he said. "It's a game for the big casinos you only get access to with a huge first-time entry fee."

"I see."

Lelouch pursed his lips. Something to consider in his plans to amass a sizeable sum of money. Before they could continue their conversation about the matter, the door opened, and Felt walked in, her face twisted in an incredibly painful looking grimace. Lelouch doubted that she could even see clearly through the narrowed eyes.

"Felt!" Rom said, standing up. He was next to the door, of course, and Felt didn't seem to have a clear vision of what was around her until she crashed to the floor as Rom accidentally knocked her over. She opened her eyes, staring at the hulk, and instead of getting angry jumped up to his neck, throwing her hands around him.

"Old man Rom!" she shouted. Lelouch wondered if that was a hug or an attempt to choke the man. "These people are the worst!"

"What happened?" Lelouch asked. She turned towards him, still hanging off Rom's neck.

"Oh, it's you," she said, ignoring his question. "You messed up my deal."

"Eh?" Lelouch asked, pointing at himself. "I did? I'm sorry, I thought I was saving your life."

"You did, but you still messed up my deal!" she said pointing one finger at him. The other arm was still holding onto the old man. Lelouch chuckled.

"I apologize," he said. "How about I pay you back for the deal and you consider that slight against you forgotten?"

"You can do that?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Not now, I admit," Lelouch said. "But it won't take too long. Give me a week. How much was the deal for?"

"Ten sacred gold," she said, her eyes sparkling. Rom grabbed her by the scarf and set her down.

"Alright," Lelouch said. "So, what happened? You seemed rather upset."

"All those nobles were a bunch of pig-fucking degenerate assholes that's what," she said. Lelouch's eyebrows twitched. She seemed to grow in vulgarity the more upset she got. What a quaint individual. "One half was all 'We can't have a kid from the slums take the throne!' and the other half was shouting 'What a horrible event, whoever kidnapped the child must be executed!' and Reinhard just shut them all down."

"And?" Lelouch asked, glancing towards Rom. The old man grimaced, but said nothing. "I doubt you would just let them get to Rom like that."

"Of course not," Felt said, shaking her head vehemently. "The only way they'd listen to anything I say was if I agreed to join that dumb election of theirs. Reinhard called it fate."

The corners of Lelouch's lips twitched up. Fate, or perhaps just the intelligent manipulation of events to his favor. It seemed that Reinhard knew what it would mean to bring Rom in together with Felt and report the circumstances he had found her in.

"I suppose you're 'Lady' Felt now?" Lelouch asked. She jumped forward, kicking him in the stomach. Lelouch became aware that he hadn't eaten in a long time, and fell onto the bed behind him, holding an arm over his belly as he keeled over. "Urgh…"

"Told you not to call her that," Rom said, laughing at his misery. "Cut him some slack, we owe him a debt, Felt."

"That doesn't mean I have to be happy about owing some noble fucker," Felt muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm not a noble," Lelouch managed to get out through the sharp pain. Coughing slightly, he regained his composure. His hair swayed slightly as he shook his head. "I apologize, how about we start again. I'm Lelouch Lamperouge."

He tried to stand up and bow, and was met with a large hand slapping his back. Lelouch winced slightly, and looked up, finding Rom standing next to him.

"Don't worry too much," Rom said. "That's just how she is when she's nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Felt said, indignantly. "I'm just thinking. A lot. Reinhard isn't too bad, but I don't know if I really want to participate."

"I think you should," Rom said, surprising Lelouch. "I can just flee quickly if they come after me and you really don't want to play their games, but I think you should have a fair chance."

"What chance? I'm not some stinking noble," Felt said, crossing her arms.

"Well, you technically are," Lelouch said. She glared at him, and he simply smiled placatingly. "If the emblem recognized you, you're eligible to become the queen of this country."

"And why would I want that?" she asked.

"Because you can make life better for people like you and Rom," Lelouch said. "Rebuild the ghetto into something better for the poor, help kids like you."

"I like being a thief, though," Felt said, grinning. It had a slightly feral look to it. Her red eyes were shining with a greedy glint. "It's exciting. It pays well."

"Ah, do they do, though?" he asked. Felt hesitated. "People like you and Rom get around pretty well. But what about kids who aren't quite that fortunate? The starving youth of today?"

She grimaced, and Rom too had a rather contemplating look on his face. Lelouch wondered if Rom had grown up there or simply arrived in the slums when he was older.

"Shit," Felt said simply. "You're right."

Lelouch smiled. Felt scowled.

"Alright, I'll participate for real," she said, throwing herself on one of the beds. The one that Rom had laid in earlier. "I'd make you my knight if you weren't so weak. You seem smart."

Lelouch laughed. He'd have to refuse even if she had decided that, considering his plans. He couldn't support anyone over the other, right now, not before he knew all the candidates. While he was steering Felt's idea of what she could do as monarch, and Lelouch felt like it would be a good choice to help the poor, he still didn't know what Emilia's plan was.

Nor did he know about Lady Karsten, Lady Barielle or Lady Hoshin. It wasn't very relevant at the moment, however, what he needed was a base. Both power, which his practice in magic would lead him towards, and finance.

Someone knocked on the door. Rom, Felt and Lelouch stared at it, waiting for the person to walk in. They didn't. After a few seconds of silence, they called out.

"Can I come in?"

It was Reinhard, his voice sounding slightly worried. Lelouch sighed, of course he wouldn't come in unless someone allowed to, even though these barracks were where the Royal Guard stayed.

"Yes, come in," Lelouch said. The door opened with a click, and Reinhard walked in, still dressed in the Royal Guard uniform. "Hello, Reinhard."

"Sup," Reinhard said, a soft smile on his face. "I see the clothes fit you. You're just a bit smaller than me, so it was the closest thing we could find."

"Ah," Lelouch intoned, looking down at the white shirt and black pants. "Yes, though I had wondered where my actual clothes were, I had some valuables in them."

"We removed everything inside and put them into that drawer," Reinhard said. Lelouch nodded, moving around the bed towards the wooden drawer that Reinhard had pointed at and opened it. The two gems sat inside. "They'll be cleaned and returned to you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"Oh no, that's no problem," Lelouch said. "I'm not very attached to them anyway and wanted to buy new clothes after finding a place to stay."

"You're homeless?" Felt asked. "What were you doing with expensive clothes like that?"

"I'm not from around here," Lelouch said, balling a fist over the emeralds to hide them from the kleptomaniac's sight and pocketing them. "And I had no money when I arrived. The clothes were given to me."

"I see," Reinhard said. "If you still need a place to stay, I'd be happy to keep invite you to the Astraea Mansion as a guest."

"I wouldn't wish to intrude," Lelouch said, trying not to smile too wide on the fortunate offer. "I'm sure I can find another place to stay."

"I insist," Reinhard said. "I admit, some of the other nobles might want to speak to you too after your rather heroic find of the lost royal candidate."

"Is that so?" Lelouch asked. "Then I will be in your care. Thank you very much for the generous offer, sir Reinhard."

"Just Reinhard is okay, nothing changes between us," Reinhard smiled back at him.

"Are they gonna fuck?" Felt asked. Making Lelouch and Reinhard stare at her. Rom exploded in laughter. Even Reinhard couldn't help but snort at the rather obvious frown on Lelouch's face at Felt's question. Ignoring her, Lelouch turned back towards Reinhard.

The nobles wouldn't constantly be at the castle, and Lelouch doubted that he could easily enter without Reinhard. So staying at his mansion and having caught the interest of some nobles would help him make some ties. Sighing, Lelouch turned back to Reinhard, ignoring Felt's teasing grin.

"Where is Lady Emilia?" Lelouch asked.

"She returned to the Mathers Mansion," Reinhard said. "Lord Mathers will probably also be interested in speaking with you if Lady Emilia is honest about the events, so I would be careful."

"Careful?" Lelouch asked. Rom coughed, drawing attention to him.

"They say he's rather… eccentric," Rom explained. "Very eccentric."

"That's pretty much it," Reinhard said. "But other than that, he's a polite and nice man, the people on his land are very happy."

Felt scoffed, as if the concept of a nice noble was something she couldn't fathom at all.

"I'm wondering how you know about that," Lelouch asked Rom. The man chuckled.

"I knew a man who tried to steal from Mathers once," Rom answered.

"Oh dear," Reinhard said. Rom's chuckle grew louder.

"He cried," Rom said. "A lot."

"Wasn't that Ziggy?" Felt asked. "I think I still hear him some nights."

Lelouch chuckled nervously. It seemed that books weren't enough to explain what he had to expect from most noble families.

"I guess that's it?" Rom asked eventually. "She participates in your election and then she's free to go?"

"Of course," Reinhard said. "But you seem to be under the assumption that Lady Felt is not going to win."

She tried to kick him. He grabbed her leg instead and softly set it down on the ground.

"I don't know," Rom said. "I know her, but she seems a bit too happy to beat her opposition with her fists rather than her mouth."

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I am sure that she will win."

"Feh," Felt said, scoffing at his words. "'Course I'll win, and I'll show those nobles that they have to bow down to the slums before I'll allow them to say another word to me."

Reinhard smiled, bowing to Felt as if to do exactly what she had just said. While the symbolism was probably lost on her, Lelouch couldn't help but smile. A loyal knight like that, Felt really hit the jackpot.

Or he was just using her for his own agenda. But considering these people put a lot of faith into some kind of prophecy, Lelouch doubted that Reinhard could, or would want to rein in someone like Felt to simply have her take a place as puppet ruler.

And Lelouch couldn't help but feel even more excited. Exciting was a wonderful description of the circumstances. He would never describe himself as adrenaline junkie, but the way his heart pounded when faced with danger has always been something that helped him focus and cleared his mind.

Lelouch wanted to see that whoever takes the throne would be someone good.

It wouldn't do well to end up having someone like his father reign in the country that he would live in for a foreseeable future, after all. And even if she skipped to Kararagi, or one of the other kingdoms, he'd have to deal with that queen as a neighbor.

"Say, Reinhard," Lelouch said. "I'm a big fan of chess. Do you think one of the nobles might be interested to play with me?"

Reinhard blinked at the sudden request. Shrugging, he scratched the back of his head. "I suppose there's a lot of those, but I don't know if they want to play with, uh."

"A commoner, I understand," Lelouch said. "I suppose if you can find one to play with me, the others will get interested fast. I'm quite good at it, you see."

"A lot of people claim that," Reinhard said, grinning. "It always ends with two of those meeting and one realizing they're not that good at all."

"We'll see," Lelouch said.

"Definitely gay," Felt muttered under her breath. Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the girl.

* * *

Eventually, Reinhard revealed that Felt and Rom would be staying at the Astraea mansion as well. Due to Reinhard becoming Felt's knight by not giving her much choice in the matter, and her respecting his strength far more than she respected Lelouch, they would be stuck together for a while longer.

Lelouch, however, was not quite ready to leave the castle yet. Not before he had some contact with the nobles and made himself known to them. While he was nothing but a commoner to them, the fact that Reinhard had thrown his name into the report of how he found Felt gave him a little bit of recognition.

It did, eventually, end up with him sitting across a blonde man with red eyes, a distant cousin of the Barielle family.

Suddenly, the similarity between Priscilla, Felt and this man in front of him made more sense. Considering the sheer amount of hair colors without any color being more common than the next, it did take a while for Lelouch to make the connection.

Perhaps Felt was related to them. That would make her a noble in the normal sense, and not similar to Emilia who came from a forest of elves. The people the emblems reacted to seemed rather specific, and not clearly related to Lugnica's nobility. One of them was a foreigner from Kararagi, after all.

The man who had accepted the offer, Tristan Barielle looked confident.

"Say," Lelouch said, moving one of the center pawns forward and leaving the king wide open. An amateurish move. The man across him scoffed slightly. "Why did you agree to play with me, sir?"

"I was curious," he said. "Sir Reinhard seemed to have a high opinion of you."

"Ah," Lelouch said. He would have to thank the knight later. "You are related to the royal candidate Priscilla, are you not?"

The man scowled. "Yes, our esteemed princess, the Blood-Stained Bride."

To his credit, Lelouch hesitated only slightly at the title. "Blood-Stained?"

"She's not even twenty," Tristan said. "And has already led eight husbands to an early grave."

That gave Lelouch more of a reason to pause. He doubted nobles could simply get away with murder.

"I assume that quite a few rumors fly around the house of Barielle about that," Lelouch said. The man nodded. Nobles loved their gossip.

"And people still try to court her," he said. "Fools, the lot of them, that child is nothing but misfortune for our family."

"You seem rather… open with your hostility, sir," Lelouch said.

"We're nothing more than dirt in her eyes," the man said. Lelouch messed up on purpose, letting the noble get the upperhand. "And any claim by you would simply be dismissed as commoner's trying to defame the nobility."

"I can appreciate the honesty," Lelouch admitted. "Very well, I have an offer for you, sir Barielle."

"Oh?"

"How about we make this a bit more exciting?"

"Exciting?" the man asked, moving one of his own pawns forward.

"Yes, a bet," Lelouch said, smiling. "I love the gamble, you see, and I have these."

He pulled the emeralds out of his pocket. The room was empty, Lelouch would have to wait until this afternoon before Reinhard would lead them to his mansion, and he had some time to kill.

"Oh?" the man intoned. Lelouch could see a greedy grin on his face. "I see, I suppose you know their worth, then?"

"Of course," Lelouch said. "2 sacred gold, I've been told by the jeweler near the market."

That was the value he would get there. The man would probably sell them for more, and the noble knew that.

"I see."

The man pulled a bag from his hip and opened it. White coins sparkled. Putting two coins on the table and closing the bag, the man grinned at Lelouch. Lelouch grinned back.

"In that case I will have to accept," he said. "I love exciting games, after all, and a gamble always spices things up."

"I'm glad you see it my way, sir Barielle."

"Me too, sir Lamperouge."

A servant walked in with food. Lelouch's stomach growled loudly. It has been a long time since he had eaten.

Tristan laughed, and Lelouch picked up the pace, ready to turn the game into his favor again.

"Say, sir Barielle, what did you hear about the other candidates?" Lelouch asked.

"The Karsten house's candidate, Crusch," the man said, narrowing his eyes at the board. "A rival house of the Barielle. She's competent, I think. A queen I wouldn't mind serving under."

"Rivals?" Lelouch said. He really didn't know why the man was so open, he didn't seem to be lying.

"Both house Barielle and Karsten are descendants of the first royal family," he said. Lelouch couldn't quite remember if such a detail was inside the the books. "We have inherited the looks, the golden hair and red eyes, while they inherited the 'spirit', some say. Born with Divine Protections that were seen in ancestors of the past."

"Fascinating," Lelouch said, taking a bite of the prepared food. "So you would prefer Lady Karsten instead of Lady Barielle?"

"I would prefer a Lugnica on the throne," he said simply. Lelouch nodded. Kadomon had been very adamant about that as well.

"What about the foreigner," Lelouch said. "Lady Anastasia Hoshin, I think?"

The man scowled. "A very great businesswoman, but if she has the capability to be a ruler, I cannot say."

"The fact that she's a foreigner probably doesn't sit well with most of the nobles, does it?"

"If she brings the Hoshin trading company's main seat to Lugnica, they'll lick her feet," he said. "Hoshin is more nobility than some of Kararagi's other nobles."

"I know how most nobles reacted about Lady Felt," Lelouch said, noting that the man's scowl increased in intensity. "But what about Lady Emilia?"

"There's rumors," he said, leaning in. "An elf on the throne might mean trouble, but they say Lady Emilia looks like the Witch of Envy."

"So nobody would support her," Lelouch said.

"Quite the opposite," Tristan noted. "She has the most influential noble besides Lady Priscilla and Lady Crusch on her side. Roswaal L. Mathers, the head of the Mathers house, with him, she stands on equal grounds as the other three."

"Three," Lelouch repeated. "So you don't think Lady Felt has a chance?"

"The Astraea house is a house of knights, people who fight for the country, not work inside of it," he said. "With their support, she has a base, but it's not quite the same as the endorsement of the Mathers family. And even then, it's only Reinhard who supports her."

"What about the rest of his family?" Lelouch asked. The man grinned slightly.

"I have heard that his grandfather Wilhelm is supporting Lady Karsten. His father has decided to remain impartial."

"The world of nobles seems to be a complicated and twisted web, doesn't it?" Lelouch asked. The man grinned in a condescending way, even as the game started to look bad for him.

"That's why commoners are commoners," he said. "And nobles take care of nobles. You wouldn't understand."

"I think," Lelouch said, smiling. "That I don't want to."

* * *

By the time afternoon came, and Reinhard came to pick Lelouch up, the size of the sum had already increased.

While his only opponent remained the esteemed sir Barielle, the man repeatedly tried to make up for his loss by doubling on the bet after each game. While Lelouch took it easy, holding back against the admittedly adept man, he couldn't help but be disappointed.

By the time he had twelve sacred gold from the man, fourteen if he counted the emeralds he could sell, Reinhard entered the small large room they've sat in. Sir Barielle was sweating, looking worried as the man walked in.

"Ah, Reinhard," Lelouch said. "Do you have a bag to spare for my coins? I'm afraid I have only my pockets."

"Sure," Reinhard said, apparently holding back a smile at the coins on the table next to the emeralds.

"Just one more game, sir Reinhard," the noble said, slightly red in the face.

"I apologize, sir Barielle," he said. "But I'm afraid that I cannot let my host wait for much longer. It has been a pleasure."

"Yes, yes, quite," he said. "I will have to ask for a rematch one day."

"Of course, you can find me at the Astraea mansion for the time being," Lelouch said, standing up and pocketing the coins until Reinhard could give him a bag.

As Lelouch and Reinhard walked out of the room, the red-haired knight's grin grew wider.

"I suppose you are good," Reinhard said.

"Maybe I am," Lelouch said, smiling back. "But he was just bad."

Reinhard laughed. They met up with Felt and Rom and eventually left the castle in a carriage.

Lelouch would pay her back later, as soon as he had enough money to keep betting without concern. He would need the money to buy books and possible teachers. Instead of traveling to the Yang master, he might be able to persuade them to come to him.

There were other possibilities too, of course, everything had to be tried once.

"Reinhard," Lelouch spoke up. Felt was sitting next to the red-haired knight, her head on the man's arm while snoring loudly. Rom was seated next to Lelouch, hunched over to avoid hitting his head against the ceiling and pressing Lelouch into the side of the carriage.

"Yes?"

"You know I'm studying to be a mage," Lelouch said. "And my affinity is rather rare, I have heard."

"Yang, right?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch nodded. "Do you want to join the mage corps?"

"No, I don't," Lelouch said. War on a large scale would be wearing him down, and while he didn't hear anything about conflicts, joining the military force would be detrimental to his plans. "I just wondered if there were any nobles with the same affinity, so I could ask them for advice."

"Hmm," Reinhard said, crossing his arms and looking up. "I think I know one."

"Oh?" Lelouch said. They wouldn't be a master that could teach him with great detail, but a bit of help could be useful. Books were wonderful to convey knowledge of spells, but the actual practical knowledge he needed about using mana properly and training to use more spells before passing out would take less time if he actually received some help.

"Yes, Priscilla Barielle," Reinhard said. Lelouch sighed. Of course. "I don't think she'll help you, though."

"Yes, I understand," Lelouch said. Why did it have to be her of all people? "That is rather unfortunate. How knowledgeable are you about magic?"

"I use magic in my attacks," Reinhard said. "But I don't think I can help you. I'm using it very similar to spirit users."

"So you use magic from the atmosphere?"

"Yes," Reinhard nodded. "It's part of the Sword Saint's power. The Blessing of the Sword Saint is passed down as soon as the last one dies. My grandmother held the title before me."

"I suppose I'm left to wander alone and learn as much as I can," Lelouch said. "Oh dear, what misfortune."

"But you're making quick progress," Reinhard said. Lelouch knew the man would compliment a flea for its ability to jump, but felt happy that someone with strength like that was still humble enough to actually give a compliment to someone else. "It's impressive for someone who's so clueless about a lot of things."

Lelouch clicked with his tongue, a wry smile on his lips. "When did I ever give you that impression?"

"Whenever you ask a question," Reinhard answered, grinning. Lelouch observed the people outside for a moment, their stares towards the carriage filled with awe and jealousy. The stares that people would give Felt now.

"Of course," Lelouch said. "So, Reinhard van Astraea, could you enlighten this clueless commoner?"

Reinhard gave Lelouch an amused look after nodding.

"What about?"

"Why do you support Lady Felt?"

Her leg lashed out in her sleep, hitting Rom's shin. The large man ignored the sudden assault and turned to Reinhard, paying attention to the conversation for once.

"She is the candidate I want to see on the throne," Reinhard said, his voice earnest as he gave Lelouch a rather quizzical look.

"But why?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard blinked, furrowing his brow.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Between the heads of two families, a businesswoman without equal and a mighty elven mage with the support of the Mathers house, why a girl from the street?"

"I suppose it's fate," Reinhard said. Lelouch tried not to scowl. "You led me of all people to her, the royal candidate that was mentioned in the prophecy but never found."

"So you're saying any other knight would have done the same?" Lelouch asked.

"I doubt it, but that's what makes this so exciting, doesn't it?"

The absolute jackpot. Felt probably wasn't aware just how lucky she was.

The carriage stopped, and Felt flew forward, caught by Reinhard before she could hit her head against Rom and lifted her back to her seat. Opening her eyes slowly, the girl yawned loudly. Lelouch could see what she had eaten with how far she had opened her mouth.

"Are we there yet?" she asked, stretching.

"Yes," Lelouch said, staring at the pristine mansion outside. A man in butler uniform opened the door, letting Lelouch and Rom take the first step out. After a few seconds, Reinhard stepped out and bowed in front of the carriage, ready to take Felt's hand and help her out.

She just jumped over him, using his shoulders as springboard.

"Well shit," she said. "This looks like it's cozy, is this how rich people live?"

Lelouch couldn't help but be amused by the bewildered stares that the servants outside gave Felt. Reinhard simply chuckled, standing up and walking towards her. Truly the most unlady like lady this mansion had ever seen.

"I suppose that even among the rich nobles, we are a bit above the average," Reinhard admitted. "Welcome to the home of the Astraea family, my lady."

"You don't think I'm the long lost child of a noble too, eh, Lelouch?" Rom asked, staring at the home and maids.

"I doubt it," Lelouch said. Rom sighed. Giving the large man a smile, Lelouch spoke up again. "Don't worry, old man Rom, I'm not a noble either. We can be poor together."

The man laughed, slapping Lelouch on the back as they followed behind Reinhard and Felt.


	6. A Noble's Daughter

**Chapter 6: A Noble's Daughter**

* * *

Lelouch had a hard time describing the situation in front of him as anything but tense. It was perhaps the most blatant display of absolute dismissal he had ever seen. The sir Barielle had either not been informed well enough, or perhaps been understating the exact level of split that the Astraea family was dealing with.

It might have been a strange coincidence, but one that Lelouch would not question, that a man in servant uniform who was greeted like a lord as he stepped out with a catgirl, turned out to be Reinhard's grandfather Wilhelm.

In between someone who, as he had learned from Rom, was called 'Sword Devil' and the 'Sword Saint', Lelouch felt the hairs on his neck stand up.

It seemed that there was more about the issues in the family than just the support of Crusch Karsten and Felt by two different family members.

"It's rather strange that you arrived so early, grandfather," Reinhard said, a polite smile tugging on his lips. The red-haired knight was, in Lelouch's eyes, sincere. Someone who would need an incredibly compelling reason to truly hate someone. While he was rather dismissive of Elsa Granhirte, and he seemed insulted and surprised that a royal candidate was living in the slums, he gave off the appearance of someone rather hard to anger.

Instead of saying anything, Wilhelm van Astraea kept silent, eating from the large steak prepared in front of him. Lelouch had barely touched his own meal.

"We'll be on our way soon," the catgirl said. Lelouch twitched when she added meows after the sentences at first, but had been able to control himself better by now. It was bizarre, but he wouldn't judge.

Milly would have loved it here.

"Then why are you here?" Reinhard asked of Ferris, the catgirl, instead. She had brown hair and ears, wearing feminine clothes despite a very flat chest.

Seeing that his grandfather wasn't being very responsive, the knight didn't miss a beat to keep the conversation going. Felt and Rom were eating in silence as well, obviously aware of the tension on the table.

Rom and Wilhelm had given each other weird stares earlier when they had first met, but nothing came of it. Lelouch would have to dig harder if he wanted to learn something new.

"Lady Karsten sent us to speak with the royal candidate Felt," Ferris answered. Reinhard nodded at this.

"I see, is it the same offer she gave Lady Hoshin and Lady Barielle?" he asked. Lelouch perked up slightly. It seemed the candidates have been a bit more active than he had first heard.

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Then I believe there's nothing to do but refuse as they did," Reinhard said, smiling. Ferris grinned at him, looking towards Felt. The girl, still dressed in the clothes from the ghetto, was not very lady-like while eating her meal, but obviously tried to present herself slightly better.

"What offer?" Lelouch asked, cutting into the conversation. He hesitated slightly when Wilhelm's eyes moved towards him, but it was Reinhard who answered when Ferris didn't seem to acknowledge him.

"Lady Karsten offered everyone to step down instead of facing her," Reinhard explained. Lelouch blinked. Was she that confident? Dangerous? Arrogant, perhaps? "She offers the candidates all kinds of things, but I doubt anyone will accept when faced with the possibility of becoming the ruler."

"If she is that confident that she will win," Lelouch said. "Why would she go so far to offer people anything?"

"Because she is just," Reinhard said. "If I had to describe her, I would say she would be the one that worked the hardest, and she values hard work as well."

"So people who would fight her rather than just bow down to her should be more valued, right?"

"Ohhh," Ferris said, a glint in her eyes. Lelouch glanced towards her, and she seemed to actually pay attention to him for once. "Is that your new retainer? He seems smart."

"I'm merely a guest," Lelouch said, smiling. "Reinhard has been gracious enough to allow me to stay here until I can find more permanent housing."

Even with the money he had earned, and Lelouch knew that Reinhard had seen the coins, he would simply wait for a while longer to find a place to stay. The house of one of the nobles seemed to be the perfect place to build connections and dig up information.

And if he had spent enough time, going through all the loops to find everything that he could out, maybe Lelouch could even find a way to return home or possibly create something that would allow him to move in between the worlds.

Even communication wouldn't be bad. At least he could ask how his sister was doing.

And maybe solve the mystery of his corpse. Did he have one? Did it vanish when he appeared here? Shaking his head, Lelouch stared towards Reinhard again, still expecting an answer to his question.

"I didn't consider that," Reinhard said. The way he had said it made Lelouch sigh slightly. If he was just playing a role, then he was the best actor he had ever seen.

And if he was honestly this slow, then Lelouch feared for the kingdom if Felt could do everything she wanted without concern.

"What'd she offer me anyway?" Felt asked. She was sitting between Reinhard and Rom, stabbing at the steak with a fork.

As hard as she tried to eat like less of a slob, her attitude towards Ferris and Wilhelm, which seemed to be actively more hostile than against Reinhard, was accompanied by a perpetual glare that kept her from looking at her food.

Stains of the meat's juices were around her mouth. Reinhard bent over to her, wiping them away with a bit of napkin and dodged a punch from her. She made it look like she didn't like the whole mothering he did, but Lelouch could see that she seemed to dislike the fact that she appreciated it.

"Most simple stuff, homes, money, animals," Ferris counted them up. "It's not really a test of character."

"Isn't it?" Lelouch asked. "Then perhaps Lady Karsten simply likes to pamper her subjects?"

That got a reaction out of Wilhelm. He coughed slightly, as if he had just gotten a piece of meat into the wrong pipe. Ferris giggled.

"No," Ferris answered. "If there's something she won't do, it's pamper."

"I'm confused, then," Lelouch said. He had a lot to learn about the motivations and interests of one Crusch Karsten. What kind of person was she? A princess without concern for the world like Priscilla appeared to be?

No, even if they were so closely related as Tristan had said, people in the same family could be like fire and ice and everything in between. He wouldn't exactly compare Clovis to Cornelia, nor would he compare himself to someone like Odysseus.

Blood does not make a personality. Lelouch had learned that easily, a twisted emperor who took the world's hatred onto himself with the kindest soul on the entire planet as his little sister.

"She expects things in return, of course," Reinhard said. Ferris shrugged. That made more sense. "She needs all the support she can get out of the whole kingdom to justify ending the covenant with the dragon."

"That covenant," Lelouch said. "What does it mean for the kingdom?"

Ferris gave him a curious look. Felt glared at him. Rom just shrugged.

"Err, excuse my friend, he has led a rather sheltered life from what I've heard," Reinhard said. Lelouch's eyebrow twitched. A faux pass on his side. The dragon was mentioned in all the books, but the exact circumstances of the covenant and the implications it brought were not clear. "The dragon protects Lugnica. In case of a war, Lugnica will always be the strongest nation because of the Sword Saint's lineage and the dragon's protection."

The word Sword Saint made Wilhelm react. It was slight. Lelouch knew it, he had seen it many times at court, the slightest hesitation in between the next chew. Eating was always a time where people lowered their defenses, no matter how much they trained to avoid it.

"And what does it get in return?" Lelouch asked. He might have been playing the role of the fool a bit too much, and while getting underestimated could be an advantage, being dismissed didn't sit right with him.

"We protect the dragon in return, and he was the one who chose the five royal candidates."

"So the dragon chose Felt," Lelouch said. The girl glared at him, eating the last pieces of her steak swiftly. "And yet nobody knew where or who she was?"

"I have my suspicions," Reinhard said, smiling. "But you don't like my answer."

"Fate," Lelouch said, frowning. "You assumed she would turn up before the selection."

"The dragon wouldn't have chosen her if she didn't," Reinhard said.

"You have your suspicions on who she is, don't you?" Rom asked. The table turned towards him, and instead of a glare, Felt gave the old man that raised her a look that spoke volumes about her confusion. His question seemed directed at everyone, even Lelouch. There was the point where Lelouch could recoup slightly.

"The royal family's features," Lelouch said. Felt twitched. Nobles must have taken note of it as well. "All you would have to do was ask one of them, she might be a bastar-"

That was the wrong thing to say. Lelouch stared towards Wilhelm's plate, where the fork hard created cracks after being pressed in deeply. Reinhard interjected immediately.

"That's right, you don't know," Reinhard said. Lelouch didn't like the sound of that. There was a lot of things he didn't know, but where did he go wrong? "The Royal family was stricken by a plague and died, all of them. It's the reason for the royal election."

Ah. Another piece of the infinitely large puzzle fell into place. Kadomon had mentioned that the king was old and that a prophecy had demanded five new candidates instead of the royal family.

The nobles must have twisted the truth quite a bit to avoid panic. A whole royal family dying at once? That couldn't be a coincidence. Working with false information was problematic, yet he saw no reason to pull back.

"I apologize," Lelouch said, his eyes downcast. "I believe that information like this is confidential? As you said, I have not been very up to date with events."

"Yes," Wilhelm said, actually addressing him. The old man grimaced. "Not even the leaders of the foreign countries are aware of this. I believe that you should be aware what it would mean for information like this to leak out."

Reinhard laughed nervously at his grandfather's tone, and Lelouch felt dread building itself up inside him. Right now he went from 'clueless foreigner who led a sheltered life' to 'possible spy', in part to blame on Reinhard.

Rom and Felt looked surprised at the information.

"I would give you an oath that I will never reveal this information to anyone," Lelouch said. "I doubt you would so readily believe me, however."

As Wilhelm was about to respond, Felt interrupted them.

"You saying I'm some bastard kid from the castle?" she asked. Her tone betrayed her rather obvious dislike to that information. "Then I'm glad I grew up with old man Rom, dying like that didn't seem like a great way to go, probably choked on some stupid-"

"I would recommend that you do not disrespect the late royal family, Lady Felt," Wilhelm said. His eyes were hard, but his voice soft. Felt met his stare defiantly, crossing her arms. "With a personality like that, perhaps you are more of a Barielle than a Lugnica."

A subtle jab. One that Felt likely didn't recognize as such, considering her disinterest in noble matters outside of the latest possible item to steal. He knew she grabbed a few trinkets and hid them somewhere in her room despite being here for less than three hours. The maids had been quick to complain about the disappearance of all manner of objects since she appeared.

"Fuck you," she said simply. Lelouch could see Ferris' amusement in her eyes, and the way she was not so subtly trying to hold herself back from giggling like a child at the sight of someone speaking like this to the old swordsman didn't do her any favors.

"I apologize, grandfather," Reinhard said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Lady Felt has grown up with a rather biased view towards nobility due to her circumstances."

"Fuck you too!" Felt said, pointing at Reinhard. Her glare was almost adorable, and even Lelouch had a hard time to keep himself from chortling when Reinhard just took the napkin again to wipe away the last few stains from her lips. He ducked under her next swipe, coming rather close to his own already empty plate, and came back up to give her a smile.

"Perhaps growing up among nobility has given the nobles a biased view of both nobles and the commoners as well," Lelouch said diplomatically. Reinhard nodded.

"Perhaps," Wilhelm said. The man stood up, the broken plate still on the table, and left. The moment he did so, Rom followed suit, walking after the man for some reason.

Ferris gave Felt a look that was somehow both approving and disapproving before leaving the table, taking the same door out as Rom and Wilhelm.

The moment all of them were gone, Felt burped, leaning into the chair.

"Shit," she said. "That old man gave me the creeps."

"Grandfather Wilhelm has an… effect on people," Reinhard said. "It's hard to describe."

"He didn't seem to like you very much," Lelouch noted. Reinhard gave him a soft laugh. It sounded resigned.

"Because he doesn't," Reinhard explained. "But that's a matter for my family, I apologize that you had to witness it."

"I understand," Lelouch said. "My father wasn't a very affectionate man, either."

A small gamble on his part. Revealing parts of his past through half-truths and blatant lies could help him go forward.

"You haven't really talked about where you come from," Reinhard said. Lelouch hadn't, obviously. And most information he had given Reinhard was rather carefully selected. Knowing about the king being old, the royal selection and the emblems were all things that he could learn on the street. Reinhard had suspected that Lelouch was some disgraced noble from another country, which made sense enough that Lelouch had simply agreed to the assessment.

"Because it's not really important for the future," Lelouch said. He felt a pang of guilt at that. Of course he still had feelings for the other side, the other world he had built anew. He had people there, but all of them were unavailable, unreachable.

"If you don't want to talk about it-"

"I don't mind too much," Lelouch said quickly. "If I refuse to answer, that should be answer enough. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know?"

Giving Reinhard a puzzle of his own, trying to find out who Lelouch was while the whole picture was impossible without considering different worlds, could make the man more suspicious. Of course, everyone had their own suspicions already, and Lelouch might be able to steer the ideas Reinhard had with the right answers.

"You don't like your father," Reinhard mentioned. Lelouch nodded, and Felt listened in on the conversation. "What about your mother? Siblings?"

"My mother was," Lelouch began, thinking back. Before he erased her and his father. Back when Nunnally could walk. When Marianne pretended to be a mother. Even to this point, Lelouch couldn't say what her real personality was like. For someone who wanted a world without masks, Marianne vi Britannia was a very complex person. "She was a commoner. One of many wives my father took."

"Multiple wives?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch nodded. He didn't know if there was a country that allowed it here, but by the way Reinhard nodded back, and understanding dawned on his face, he had made his own conclusion.

"She didn't hesitate to pick a fight with the others, especially about us," Lelouch continued. Reinhard's smile told him a lot.

"Us, you said," Reinhard commented. "Your siblings?"

"I had many," Lelouch said, grimacing as he thought about them. At least he didn't have to be that careful with information like this, no matter where Reinhard had a chance to look, he wouldn't find anything about him. "If it's all the same, I would prefer not to talk about them."

Thinking about the only siblings he actually loved sent pangs of regret through his chest. All the mistakes he had made. All these things he could start again if he had this ability earlier.

"You sound like a bundle of joy," Felt said. He could see some kind of emotion in her eyes, but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't the constant dislike and hostility she put up near nobles all the time.

"And you're quite the spitfire for a noble's daughter," Lelouch commented. She grinned at him, teeth showing.

"You wanna say that again?" she asked. Knowing just how much the daggers hurt when stabbed into his legs, Lelouch didn't. He smiled back at her, and she shrugged.

* * *

Lelouch did not have anything to spend the money he had earned on at the moment except for new clothes. So when Reinhard had suggested that they all should go to a tailor, the expensive noble clothing kind, Lelouch had to tag along.

While he also wanted simpler clothes, things that could make him look like a commoner when needed, he had absolutely nothing to wear except the custom made emperor's robes, which were nothing but a reminder of his failures and bitter victories, and the shirt and pants that he had received from Reinhard.

What might have ended up looking like a long and gracious shopping trip was actually a rather amusing stop at the tailor together with Felt, who had been very adamant about not going.

After Reinhard managed to bribe her with money, she went along.

Lelouch had the feeling that Felt would be very quick to step down from the election and let Karsten or Hoshin take the throne if she could make a quick buck without getting into the whole nobility thing. Luckily, Reinhard, as dense as he seemed, had a lot more common sense than she did.

And deep pockets.

"Welcome," a large woman said, turning around as they entered. When she caught sight of Reinhard, she immediately became red in the face. "Sir Reinhard! What a pleasure to see you!"

"Hello, Madame," Reinhard said, giving her a disarming smile. "I am in need of a dress, and an entire wardrobe in the future, for this young lady."

Felt was standing next to him with a large grin on her face, staring at the white coin in her hand with wide eyes.

"Oh my," she said. "A wedding dress? Sir Reinhard, are you to marry?"

"Nothing like that," Reinhard said, laughing. "This young lady is Felt, the fifth royal candidate. I have found her recently and have become her knight."

"Oh," she said. The older woman looked rather sad that it wouldn't be a wedding. "I see, please, look around for a dress that you like and I shall make it fit you."

Felt was still rather occupied and ignored the request by the madame. Instead, Reinhard began to walk through the shop and look at various dresses.

Lelouch approached the woman.

"Excuse me," he said. When the woman looked at him, she went red once again, this time actually aware of his presence next to the famous knight. "I seem to be in need of a few clothes myself. I'm afraid I don't know the actual prices, however."

"The price depends on the material mostly," the woman said. "I can give you five suits including shirts for two sacred gold."

Lelouch blinked. That did seem rather cheap.

"Of course, it's including our special discount," she said, swinging to the left and right. "Beautiful men can buy everything they want cheaper in Madame Loriot's tailorship. Women pay enough already."

Lelouch just shook his head at the blatant statement of discriminating against certain kinds of customers. He would take what he could.

It didn't take long for Felt to come out of her stupor. By that time, Lelouch had ordered some things already, and Reinhard returned with a rather expensive looking yellow dress that did indeed look like it would fit Felt.

"Nu-uh," Felt said, staring at the dress. Reinhard just nodded. "Nope, you're not going to make me wear that."

"One more coin of sacred gold?"

"Three," she said immediately, not denying that she could be bought.

"One, but you can wear what you want outside of important events."

"Deal."

Lelouch sighed as they shook hands.

* * *

By this point, Lelouch had already decided that he would try to amass wealth. He would have asked Rom about the entry costs to the expensive casinos he had mentioned, but the man had took off rather early, and Wilhelm was nowhere to be found as well.

No matter where, money helped. Be it to hire a teacher, or pay for the costs of living, or even have a bunch of mages study his body trying to find whatever cursed geass forced him to avoid speaking about his ability and buy their silence just in case.

It would help him with Felt, and he could buy magical items from the warehouse. All these possibilities would only be open if he could actually play with high stakes.

So when the invitation from Tristan Barielle was delivered to the Astraea mansion, asking him to visit to finally have their rematch, Lelouch couldn't say no. The fact that the invitation came right the next morning after he had won all that money made it reek of desperation. And where desperation was, there was money.

It did, however, make him uneasy. Unfortunately, the Barielle house was house to Priscilla Barielle, a woman that Lelouch had the pleasure of meeting once before, and could not measure up at all during that time. As a royal candidate, one who has been a noble since birth compared to Emilia and Felt, it was likely that she was rather dangerous in her own right.

Walking out of his room after the servant who had delivered the letter to him had excused themselves, Lelouch walked down from the first floor to ask Reinhard how he could reach the Barielle mansion. He had time, of course, the invitation was for this evening, and it would be a while until then.

When he walked in on Ferris giving Felt a massage with blue light all over her hands, Lelouch quickly closed the door. Only the presence of Reinhard made him open it again and look at the scene.

Power was in the room. The warm energy of mana moved around in a slow whirl, gathering near Ferris' hands.

After a few minutes, the light show had ended, and Lelouch felt strangely awake.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch turned to him, walking further into the room.

"Was that healing magic?" he asked. Reinhard nodded.

"'The Blue', they call him," Reinhard said. "The strongest healer in the country."

"So young? A Divine Protection, perhaps?" Lelouch asked. Ferris yawned, moving off Felt.

"She's a-ok, Rein," Ferris said. Lelouch frowned.

"Wait, 'him'?" Lelouch asked, pointing at the catgirl. He had met very feminine looking men in his time in the other world, but he didn't really expect this.

"Ferris is male," Reinhard said, nodding. "You didn't know?"

"WHAT!?" Felt shouted, jumping to her feet. At least she still had her clothes on. "That's something you tell me before you make them do their weird magic on me!"

While Lelouch was surprised, Felt's absolute outrage was the strongest emotion in the room.

"Don't worry about it," Ferris said, smiling widely. "Many people make that mistake."

"That's not the point!" Felt continued, pointing at Ferris' face from up close. She blinked, rolling her shoulder a few times. "Wow, what the fuck?"

She jumped around a bit, sometimes with bursts of speed that she used when she stole things, Making a few kicks towards Reinhard, all of which were blocked or dodged, the turned to Ferris again.

"What did you do?"

"Well, you are well-fed and without disease for someone from the ghettos," Ferris said, standing on her heels. His heels. That would take a while to get used to. "I just fixed the most simple stuff like Reinhard paid me to~"

"Thank you, Ferris," the red-haired knight said. Turning to Lelouch, he gave the black-haired young man a once over. "Do you need a checkup as well?"

Lelouch shook his head. He wasn't sure what Ferris might actually find inside him, and he couldn't really risk that information getting to the Lady Karsten.

"I don't even need to give him the full treatment," Ferris said. "You're training with your gate, aren't you?"

"Yes," Lelouch said. Of course a mage on that level would notice, they had those strange powers which he had to work towards figuring out. "Is something the matter?"

"Do you know the Bokko fruit?" he asked. Lelouch shook his head. "It's a fruit that regenerates the mana in your body quickly. People early in their study often abuse the effects of the fruit and damage their gate."

"It can be damaged?" Lelouch asked. Michel hadn't mentioned that.

"If you drive yourself to the brink of exhaustion and use the fruit repeatedly, your gate would be using much more mana than it can handle at first. You need to slowly open it more and more. Your control is good."

"Is it?" Lelouch asked. "I admit, I haven't really been able to learn a lot. Reinhard said he couldn't help me with his own brand of magic being the only thing he knows."

Felt had escaped the room during her bursts of speed at one point, Lelouch had been too absorbed by the conversation to notice. Reinhard had followed after her.

"It is, it's pretty simple. Don't try too hard, avoid using the fruit more than once every three day, and if possible, don't use it at all and simply rest to recover your strength."

Lelouch thought about it. The fruit was new, but if it was so dangerous, it might not be worth it.

"Of course, that's only for people like you," Ferris teased. "Geniuses like me learned all their tricks in a week and just perfected them."

Lelouch pursed his lips.

"Do you know how I can reach the Barielle mansion? I wanted to ask Reinhard but he seems to be occupied."

Ferris blinked at the sudden question. The cat...boy who had started a sudden conversation on the topic of magic and eating fruit answered without missing a beat.

"Yes, we've been there before leaving towards Hoshin~"

Lelouch smiled. The coins inside his bag made a small noise as he stepped to the side, letting Ferris leave the room. "Wonderful."


	7. Dungeons and Daughters

**AN: In recent reviews I received multiple complaints about Re:Zero as source work. I feel inclined to answer to those, and see myself disagreeing. If you cannot enjoy the source work as what it is, a quite well-done subversion of tropes and characters who feel human instead of being a bundled bunch of clichés who fall all over women groping them accidentally or just fall into "Tsundere" and other such character traits, then you're at the wrong spot. This is a fic that doesn't deal with Lelouch curbstomping the world. It's a fic that deals with the consequences of him there, and expanding on the world as such for people who enjoyed Re:Zero. The Light Novels go quite far. This can be quite spoiler heavy for those who haven't watched or read Re:Zero yet. I recommend it, especially the last few episodes, because they show how flawed Subaru and Emilia are. If you're just here to wank over Lelouch, surprise, even he can't do everything perfectly without the plot armor every anime protagonist has.**

 **(Subaru x Rem in the IF chapters is still the best)**

 **Chapter 7: Dungeons and Daughters**

* * *

Lelouch smiled thinly at the man in front of him. The sun was hidden behind clouds, barely any rays escaping through the white sheet in the sky. Muted colors greeted him wherever he glanced, giving the mansion he could see in the distance a rather eerie appearance.

The bald knight in front of him was dressed in rather simple clothes rather than an armor. A sword, lazily strapped to his hip, swung widely at every small movement. It hadn't taken Lelouch very long to find his way here, Ferris' giving him the directions helped immensely. The large compound, surrounded by thick walls of stone and a wooden gate with a guard in front of it looked more 'classy' than the Astraea's place.

Where the Astraea family had a fence and a gate, it was a simple iron fence. And the area on which the Barielle mansion stood was possibly four times as large as his new friend's gardens.

A powerful family who have decided to become knights rather than deal with the politics of nobles. Their way of living reflected it. Rich, but not pompous. Strong, but not arrogant. Kind, but not overbearing.

Just by taking a look at the two homes, Lelouch knew that he liked the Astraea mansion a lot more.

"This seems to be in order," the knight said, handing the invitation Lelouch had received this morning back to him. "Are you capable of magic?"

Lelouch nodded. There was no sense in hiding it. The nobles should be capable of magic too, after all.

"There are guards all around the compound," the bald knight eventually said. "Use magic at your own leisure after clearing it with Lord Tristan if you wish, but don't do anything stupid."

"Of course," Lelouch said, keeping the smile on his face. "Is Lady Priscilla here today?"

"No." The man shook his head. "It's doubtful that you would have been invited if she was."

The man's tone was respectful while mentioning it, and Lelouch could hear a twinge of fear. Taking a deep breath, Lelouch breathed out through his nose and stepped in, walking through over the way of stone that has been paved towards the entrance of the large mansion. The gardens here were not 'barren'. But Lelouch wouldn't call them well kept. While there were no weeds visible, the plants were not separated by color or arranged in any way.

Instead, they were blooming however they wished. Tulips and roses sitting next to each other and in a myriad of colors like a mosaic that a child had painted.

In architecture, the whole place was not different from the Astraea mansion, but larger. Not by much, but Lelouch assumed it was simply natural for a rich family with more children. Besides Priscilla Barielle and Tristan, who had a daughter, there were at least five other cousins with children of their own, he had heard.

Knocking on the door, Lelouch could feel something from the thick wooden doors. Magic of some kind. Protection, he assumed. Possibly something that would make it hard for thieves to break in.

A young man, maybe six years his junior, opened the door. He was dressed in a servant's suit. The young man's dark brown hair shone slightly under the lights that were brightening up the main foyer inside, and combined with his soft smile, gave off a rather serene impression.

"Hello," Lelouch said, smiling back at the boy. "Lord Tristan invited me today."

The servant boy didn't say anything, nodding at Lelouch before stepping to the side, letting Lelouch in. The first thing Lelouch saw was Priscilla's face staring back at him. A portrait of the young lady was hanging on a wall. It took him a second glance to be sure that it was only a painting.

"Follow me," the servant said. His voice was soft, and almost not audible. Lelouch walked behind him until they reached a door to the right of the main foyer. Opening the door and stepping to the side to hold it open for Lelouch, the servant gave a slight bow. "The upper floors are off limits for guests. Lord Tristan does not have the permission to grant you entry there."

Lelouch nodded. Wonderful. Priscilla, as head of the house, was obviously not someone that the rest of her family wished to disrespect in any way. If she declared something, it was unlikely that the family, and especially the servants, would go against it. Someone who had such a tight control of her house was someone he could respect, but also someone who could be dangerous.

And nothing is without flaws. The animosity that Tristan had shown yesterday helped to paint a clear picture of where the weakest link in this family was.

Stepping into the room, Lelouch was greeted with the smell of tea and Tristan, sitting at a table and speaking with an elderly man. The man's short hair was gray, and his clothes made it obvious that he wasn't a servant. When both of them turned towards him, Lelouch also saw the blue eyes of the other guest. Not a Barielle.

"Welcome," Tristan said, standing up. The other man followed suit and both of them walked up to him. Giving a courteous bow, Lelouch spoke up.

"Thank you for having me, sir," Lelouch said. Turning his eyes to the old man, Lelouch smiled.

"This is Lord Miload," Tristan introduced him. The man gave a small nod towards Lelouch. "He is the head of the Miload family, and an avid chess player. When I had told him I had been beaten, he was interested in joining us."

"I would rather skip the pleasantries, Tristan," Miload said. Tristan's face twitched, the hint of a scowl making itself visible there. "I have heard that you would are a fan of bets, hm?"

Miload. Lelouch hadn't heard of the family a lot. All he knew was that the Miload house was a very family who employed demi-humans after an event known as the 'demi-human war' fought between the human and demi-human kingdoms. The cheap labor allowed him to make profit, and despite having no reason to, he improved the lives of his workers afterwards, financing villages for them to live in.

The face that Lelouch was staring at was not the face of such a kind man. Or perhaps the books had been written by a biased author. The information on other families had seemed very accurate, at least.

"Yes," Lelouch answered. "You as well, sir?"

"Very much so," Miload said. He moved through the furnished room towards a chess table, sitting down in one of the chairs. Tristan looked nervous, his weight shifting from one leg to the other and his eyes moved around the room as if looking for something. "Say, Lelouch Lamperouge…"

Lelouch sat down across the man, taking the bag of coins out of his clothes, putting it on the table. "Yes, sir?"

"You're a foreigner, yes?"

Lelouch nodded. The old man took a bag of his own, throwing three silver coins forward onto the board, knocking one of the pawns over. Lelouch did the same. No high stakes at the start? A pity, but Lelouch had more than enough gold to live comfortably for a while now. This game could allow him to make more contacts with other nobles.

"Indeed," Lelouch answered. Tristan took the coins off the board and let Miload put his pawn back in place.

"Yet," Miload said, watching as Lelouch moved a pawn forward. "You have become a friend with the Astraea family after being in the capital for barely a week. Perhaps less."

Lelouch frowned. Of course. He wasn't the only one fishing for information.

"Are you going to go somewhere with this line of inquiry, sir?" Lelouch asked. There was no way he would just let the questioning go unchallenged like Tristan had. Miload grinned, showing teeth.

"I'm simply wondering what you think of our beautiful capital," Miload said. Lelouch grimaced. If that's how he wanted to play. Responding to the man's own pawn moving forward, Lelouch mirrored his action.

"It's peaceful," Lelouch said. "Beautiful, even. I've yet to meet a person who looked unhappy."

"Of course, Lugnica is the finest kingdom of them all," Miload boasted. "But it wasn't always peaceful, of course. You're young, you don't know the horrors of war."

Lelouch held back the chuckle that was bubbling up at the back of his throat. Of course he doesn't. The man coughed twice. Tristan had taken a third chair and sat next to the table.

"People like Tristan here were born into nobility, and stripped of their power when more competent people came around," Miload continued. Tristan looked sour at the words, but did not rise to challenge the slight against his person. "People like me made their power, it would be hard to take it from us."

Lelouch nodded. It was simple for someone who probably bought himself into nobility.

"This is the reason I don't support the Karsten and Barielle house," Miload said. "I am, as of yet, undecided on who to support of the other three. Lady Hoshin is a person like me. Someone who earned their power through hard work and dedication."

Or on the labor of others. Still, if he had actually helped the demi-humans, even with ulterior motives, Lelouch could see the man go uncontested in claiming it was his work. As the investor, all the profit would eventually go back to him.

"And Lady Emilia?" Lelouch asked. "A half-elf, as you might know."

"I don't know her plans," Miload answered. "And Lady Felt seems like quite the spitfire. Someone born without power, who has so quickly gathered the support of the Astraea family's Sword Saint, it's quite incredible."

"But the Sword Devil Wilhelm supports Lady Karsten," Lelouch said. The divide in the house was clear.

"Sword Devil, hmph." Miload looked down at the board. It was in Lelouch's favor after the few minutes of play. "I admit, that title was something that frightened me quite a lot all these years ago, the man who mercilessly slaughtered hundreds of demi-humans, breaking sword after sword…"

Lelouch frowned again. The man was either simply this whimsical, or maybe purposefully going off tangents to provoke something from him.

"Say, sir Lelouch, as the latest resident of this country and its capital, what do you think would be best?"

"I'm not sure why you are asking a commoner like me something like this," Lelouch said, grinning at the man. "It is the nobles who make the decisions for the country, after all."

"Hogwash," Miload said. "The country is its people. Thirty years ago, I was nothing more than a commoner with a bag of gold. Now, there are people like Tristan here who owe me money, despite coming from higher families."

Lelouch glanced at the man. He was sweating bullets, grimacing at the blatant way that Miload had given Lelouch this information.

"If you defeat me, his debt is cleared," Miload said. "If not, it will double."

"I suppose I'm pressured to help the esteemed sir Barielle, then?" Lelouch asked. Miload laughed loudly.

"Of course not, feel free to dismiss that bet between two men and focus on our bet," Miload said. Miload moved his king away from where it stood after Lelouch moved his own king forward. "So, Lelouch, what kind of country would you wish to live in?"

"As I have said," Lelouch began, smiling at the man. "Everything in this country gives me the impression of peace. If possible, I would prefer for that to continue. Whichever queen is more likely to achieve that will be the one I shall support."

The man's grin turned almost feral.

"Kid," Miload said. "Tristan wasn't wrong. You don't cower in front of nobility, you have a good head on your shoulders. How about we increase our wager?"

By all means, the man had no reason to ask that of him. Lelouch was winning, and the result was already very clear.

"How so?" Lelouch asked. Two turns to victory.

"If you lose, you'll work for me," he declared. Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"And if I win?" Lelouch asked.

"You can marry my daughter, Annerose," he said. That would increase his social standing, but it might put him at odds with the Barielle and Karsten family considering Miload's stance. Lelouch's eyebrow almost reached his hairline when Tristan began to splutter.

"But Henry!" Tristan said. "She's barely nine!"

"They don't have to marry right now," Miload, no, Henry, said. Lelouch shook his head.

"I apologize," Lelouch said. "But I believe that an arranged marriage would not really be something I'm interested in."

Becoming that man's future son in law would probably also lead to helping the man out. It wasn't really an equal wager.

"I see," Henry said, nodding. "How unfortunate. Wouldn't you like to meet her first before making that decision?"

"I have to refuse," Lelouch said, more firmly. The hardness in his voice was more annoyance than anything else, but Henry simply sighed.

"My daughter is so undesirable," Henry said, sounding like a child with his whining. Tristan coughed, trying to regain his composure. "Ah, it seems I have lost."

"So it seems," Lelouch said, taking the coins he won from Tristan, who looked ready to jump in joy. "Care for another round?"

"Of course," Henry said. The sound of shattering glass drew their attention, and Lelouch stared towards the window. It was still whole.

Then, the lights went off. The magical lighting vanishing without a trace made Lelouch grimace. They had no electricity, no power outages should be possible. He heard a thud, then another. A squelching sound echoed.

Snapping with his fingers, Lelouch whispered the incantation for the first spell he had learned, creating small lights that illuminated everything around him.

There was blood on his feet. Lelouch held the light down, towards the ground. Swallowing hard, he took a few steps back. Tristan and Henry lay there, their throats cut open. This was no good.

Running towards the door, Lelouch tried to open it. Summoning a dagger, he stabbed the lock, but it didn't budge. The squelching sound returned, and Lelouch turned around. Throwing the sparks of light at whoever was standing behind him, Lelouch caught a flash of black hair in his vision before a knife entered his head under his chin. The person was grabbing their eyes, trying to shield them from the light, and Lelouch fell to the ground like a puppet without strings.

Holding his throat, unable to speak, Lelouch spat blood. A foot smashed into his face, and everything went black.

* * *

"Sir Lelouch?"

Lelouch opened his eyes, his hand immediately going to his throat as he took a deep breath, trying to take a step back. His legs gave out under him as he fell onto his bed inside the guest room that Reinhard had offered him. Swallowing heavily, Lelouch looked cleared his mind. A servant stood in front of him, a letter in hand.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Lelouch swallowed again, taking the letter with a shaking hand. Again. He died again, and he didn't end up next to Kadomon.

"Yes," Lelouch said. "I apologize, I've been awake for too long into the night."

"I understand," the man said, bowing to him. "Have a nice day. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

Lelouch stood right up as the servant opened the door to his room again, stepping out before shutting the door quickly. New information. Things he couldn't write down.

The loop moved 'forward'. If he died again, he didn't have to be afraid to move back to the point before he met Emilia and Reinhard. As much as he would like to compile all the information and try to find out everything he could, there was a twinge of worry. If he tried to write it down, would the witch's scent return? Would he have to kill himself multiple times to get rid of it? He could wait it out, see if something changes. Right now, he could be a bit more reckless again.

But this also meant he had to be careful at the same time. If he didn't know about the 'point' that the loop went back to before it happened, he might inevitably do something that leads to a permanent detrimental effect. Until he could determine what factor moved the loop forward, the maximum on the loop right now was one game of chess with Henry Miload and the subsequent assassination.

Lelouch clicked with this his tongue, the phantom pain of the dagger leaving slowly. He couldn't be sure that the assassination was meant for him. He might have been collateral, and to get more information, Lelouch would have to prepare himself to die again in case he was wrong. Common sense wanted him to simply stay here today, let them die and be done with it, but...

Just like Emilia and Felt, these two were with him when he died. Which meant that if he managed to save them, the rich Miload head and a member of the powerful Barielle family owed him something.

Unable to keep the smile off his face, Lelouch grabbed the bag of coins next to him and pocketed it. Incredibly light, the few coins he had at the moment would be enough to sustain a normal family for a few years at the very least. Amassing wealth with confident nobles was a wonderful thing.

Lelouch stepped out of his room.

* * *

This time, he simply skipped the conversation he had with Ferris about his magic. Instead, he ate a quick breakfast before going on his merry way, hearing Felt sigh in glee as Ferris' healing magic was taking care of her every pain.

By the time Lelouch reached the Barielle mansion again, the world was full of muted colors, the sun hidden behind clouds like last time. Handing the bald knight his invitation, Lelouch smiled thinly, unable to keep the unfortunate dread of knowingly walking into a possible death trap down.

"Everything seems to be in order," the man said, staring at the invitation. "You alright?"

"I've been feeling a bit under the weather, nothing more," Lelouch said. Taking the invitation back, Lelouch gave the man one last smile before entering. Useless guardsman, can't even keep assassins out.

"Oi, wait," he said. Lelouch did. "Gotta ask you a question first, you know any magic?"

"Yes," Lelouch said. "I'm a novice. It's been going slow."

"Alright, don't use any magic unless you get permission, lots of guards get twitchy when mana flares up."

"Of course," Lelouch said. They had a way to detect? Mage guards, perhaps. "Good day to you, sir."

"Good luck," the man said, nodding towards Lelouch.

Walking the path of the myriad colors, Lelouch arrived at the door and knocked. The young man opened the door.

"Lord Tristan invited me today," he said. The young man nodded, moving out of the way for Lelouch to move in. Step after step, Lelouch followed in until he was let into the room. Looking around, Lelouch was sure nobody but those two were inside. There were also no guards here.

Presumably so they won't hear about that wager to get rid of the debt. In context of that information, Lelouch wished he could call out that stupidity. No matter how safe you feel in your home, you are never completely away from danger.

"Hello Lord Tristan, Lord Miload," Lelouch greeted them. They turned to him, standing up.

* * *

Nothing changed. Lelouch made sure nothing changed. Giving the man the same answers, making the same moves, ending up in the same situation, only a few turns to victory.

"Ah," Lelouch said. "I apologize, could we delay for a bit, I'm afraid I'll have to visit the bathroom."

"Of course," Tristan said, looking rather confident at the board in Lelouch's favor. "Take the door here out and take the second door to the right down the hall."

"Thank you."

Lelouch stood up. If anyone was here, he couldn't be reckless. Slowly leaving the room and walking down the hall, Lelouch found only a lone guard patrolling the upper floor. Walking out of sight, Lelouch's way did not lead him to the bathroom. No, if anyone was listening in, they might know.

He took the second door to the left instead. It was a bedroom, empty, the bed looking disheveled and used just recently. Stepping into the room and closing the door slowly to make no sound, Lelouch began to count the seconds.

If he was right, then the lights should be going out any minute now.

"Oh my," he heard. Blinking, Lelouch turned his head towards the voice. A young woman stood there, wet blonde hair hanging down to her shoulders. The fact that she was half naked, dressed only in a towel, made the situation more awkward. Rather than letting him spin a lie of why exactly he was in her room, Lelouch was met with a rather strange stare. "Did a prince from a distant nation come to my room to ravage me, dear sir? Whatever is a poor maiden to do?"

The way she took step after step towards him as she spoke told him a lot. When he tried to open the door, Lelouch found his hand sizzling as he grabbed the knob. She grabbed him by the collar as he hissed in pain, shaking his hand around to cool it down. Throwing him on the bed, she straddled him.

The lights should be going out any minute now. He couldn't just fight her off with magic without opening a can of worms, and despite her rather lithe appearance, she was physically strong enough that struggling would mean hurting her.

"I apologize," Lelouch said quickly. He had to get to the room, check if they were dead. If the lights didn't go out here, it's possible that they were only shut down inside the room. "I was looking for the bathroom-"

"I have my private one here," she said. Lelouch twitched at the purr she made. "If you want to play in the water, I'm willing to indulge you."

The 'maiden' as she had called herself didn't seem inclined to let him go.

His shirt was already open, and her towel had fallen off. Not seeing much of a choice here, Lelouch threw her off him, onto the other side of the bed and tried to roll out. Her grip was like iron, and he ended up the one above her, buttons falling off and ripping the shirt he had bought just recently open.

When the door opened with a large bang, Lelouch and the young woman could only stare at the, fortunate in Lelouch's eyes, interruption.

Unfortunately, the miscalculation of the room led to the worst case scenario. Fortunately, he knew that the target of the assassin wasn't these two, but him.

"CLARISSA?!" Tristan roared. Miload was standing behind him, a slight grin on his face. "GUARDS!"

"Sir, I know exactly what this looks like," Lelouch said, out of breath. "And I can assure you, there is a very good explanation."

Miload broke into giggles that turned into full blown laughter. Guards stormed the room and grabbed Lelouch before he could resist, dragging him off Clarissa. The girl pouted like a child whose toy was taken from her.

"Into the dungeons with him!" Tristan ordered. Lelouch thought about using magic, resist and have them kill him, but they held his arms tight and dragged him away.

"Are you not overreacting, Tristan?" Miload asked. Tristan glared at Lelouch with a ferocity unmatched.

"He defiled my daughter-"

"Daaad-"

Lelouch wanted to smash his head against the wall.

* * *

Unfortunately for him, Lelouch was sitting in the dungeons with shackles that prevented him from using mana. This meant that just summoning a dagger to kill himself was impossible. It also meant that Lelouch was about to take punishment.

If he was simply executed, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Instead, Tristan had decided to spare his life because his daughter has asked him to.

So his punishment would be a hundred lashes. Twenty every day for the next five days, before he would be released. Miload did not have the authority to stop Tristan on the Barielle property, and apparently even the chance of losing his debt didn't help.

Lelouch didn't know why Henry felt so inclined to do that much for him, but it was something to consider the next time he talked to the man.

The first lash was not weak. Lelouch grit his teeth, the whip cutting into the skin of his back. Maybe he was lucky and Reinhard would notice his disappearance and get him tomorrow.

The second lash cut over the other direction, again cutting into his skin. Corporal punishment was so medieval. Lelouch tried to concentrate on something else, but he wasn't able to. The third lash hurt worse than the other two.

Maybe paying Ferris to heal this and relieve him of the pain wouldn't be a bad idea. The fourth and fifth lash came quickly after another. Every time Tristan shouted a number, Lelouch counted down from twenty.

That's it. He wasn't petty, but he would have to refuse Henry's challenge unless the bet between Henry and Tristan is off. That asshole can go pay his debt back on his own. Considering how much money he already threw around, it was unlikely to be a small sum.

The tenth lash finally made him cry out.

Right after that, he heard a squelching sound and a thud. His heart pounding, his back throbbing and his entire body hurting, Lelouch tried to turn his head, unable to do so due to the pain.

"Hey, assassin," Lelouch croaked out. The steps towards him halted. "Can you at least tell me who hired you?"

A dumb gamble. But people loved to gloat, Lelouch had to admit that it wasn't really a horrible feeling to stand over someone and do so. Reacting to his words, the assassin began to giggle. It was a man, but the voice wasn't very deep.

"You," the assassin said. "You hurt mama Elsa, I'll hurt you…"

The knife that the assassin used traced over the wounds on his back. Lelouch tried to twist his body forward, get away from the pain. Rather than just kill him, the assassin further cut into one of the wounds, making Lelouch scream.

"Assassin!" Lelouch shouted. "Your mother must be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, but at least she has the dignity to go for the kill immediately!"

The assassin shouted in rage, his knife digging deep into Lelouch's back. Instead of a quick death, the assassin continued. He stabbed the knife again and again as Lelouch screamed, the pain leaving him conscious as he rapidly bled to death, until he gargled up blood.

Lelouch's eyes rolled up as he collapsed in front of the servant giving him Tristan's letter. Forget those two. Unable to keep his consciousness through the pain, Lelouch had one last thought.

Fuck Tristan. He would stay at the Astraea mansion today, where it's safe.

* * *

When Lelouch woke up, it was to the soft hum of a feminine voice. Warmth was spreading through his body as someone sat on his legs. Opening his eyes, Lelouch found Reinhard and Felt looking at him, the former looking worried.

"Lelouch," Reinhard said. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," Lelouch admitted. He felt weak, even as the vitalizing effect of the water magic he felt took over.

"What does he have?" Reinhard asked. The feminine hum echoed again.

"I don't know," Ferris repeated his words. "The wounds inside him are phantom in nature. They're not actually there, but hurt just as much. The pain must be unbearable."

"Wounds?" Reinhard asked, his eyes narrowed. "Who could have wounded him? He was here the whole time-"

"Maybe that servant who got you?" Felt inquired. Reinhard looked towards the door, but Lelouch spoke up.

"No," Lelouch said. Ferris made an affirmative sound.

"Mhm," Ferris said. "This looks like the effect of a painful curse. It's leaving as quick as I'm healing it, the effects would've held twice as long without my help."

"I see," Lelouch said. "Thank you, Ferris."

"No problem, I'm just doing what Reinhard is paying me to do~" Ferris said. Lelouch grinned. Money, of course. "Still, you seem to know what happened, can you explain?"

"Ah," Lelouch said. "I suppose saying 'I can't' would not be enough to sate your curiosity?"

At this, even Reinhard shook his head. Lelouch grimaced. If it failed, he could die again, maybe get rid of the pain in the process.

"I have a curse on me," Lelouch lied. No pain. "If I try to speak about it-"

There it was.

The world turned white, and instead of allowing him to elaborate why he can't explain, it lashed out. Two black hands came and grabbed his heart, holding it tight, not letting it beat. When he came to, bathed in sweat, his eyes widened as he fell out of the bed. He heard hissing behind him, and turning to Ferris, he could see his hands smoking, burned.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Felt shouted. Lelouch held his chest. Something in his mana changed, but he was able to hold it down, keep it locked. The disgust he started to feel towards himself as he reflexively managed to grasp for it and prevent it from leaking out.

The Witch's scent. The Witch's mana. Without ever having 'smelled' it before, Lelouch could tell this most vile presence that touched him would spill trouble.

"Ahaha…" Ferris laughed slightly, blue energy moving around his hands. Lelouch gave him a look of pity. "It seems that you weren't lying about the curse. Unable to speak about it?"

Lelouch didn't even nod. His entire body was rigid, the witch's scent wasn't allowed to leak out. If he could, he would like to avoid dying right now, both to find out about the scent and what Ferris might have been able to learn about the curse.

"I'm sorry," Lelouch said, his fingernails digging into his shirt. "It seems I made a mistake in attempting to say anything-"

"No," Reinhard said. "I strongly disagree. If we know about this curse, we can do something about it."

"I would rather not," Lelouch said. He had to choose his words carefully, if he talked about it, it might lash out again. "Let me just rest."

"But that pain that knocked you out earlier!" Reinhard said. Lelouch could see the wounds vanish, but scar tissue replaced the burned off skin. The pristine, feminine hands of the androgynous healer were looking downright disgusting. Ferris grimaced hiding his hands behind his back and smiled. Lelouch shook his head at Reinhard, standing up with shaky feet and bowing to Ferris.

"Please, let me-"

He couldn't even speak out before Ferris just grabbed his nose with his fingers.

"If your first reaction is worrying about someone else despite a curse like that," Ferris said, his voice hard. "Then don't be angry at yourself if I'm not."

Lelouch couldn't help the guilt that crept up inside him. Even though he knew that the scars would be gone the next time he died, it was still a visible sign of how he messed up. Besides all political agenda and what friction this might cause between Reinhard and Crusch Karsten, or even his grandfather Wilhelm, Lelouch felt simple guilt.

Contrary to how he presented himself, Lelouch didn't think of himself as infallible. One would be hard pressed to see him ask for forgiveness, but that didn't mean he couldn't do it.

"You might want to pray that the Sage is still alive if you want to lift a curse like that," Ferris continued. "Now, excuse me, I feel like I should be buying gloves for the near future."

Reinhard sighed. "I apologize, Ferris, Lelouch."

"Don't worry about it~" Ferris said, his cheerful voice returning. "Just be sure not to tell Wilhelm before I do."

The red-haired knight nodded.


	8. Magical Maladies

**Chapter 8: Magical Maladies**

* * *

Lelouch was feeling faint. Working against the Witch's scent inside him allowed him to observe the phenomenon for a while. Trying to push aside the image of Ferris' hands, Lelouch leaned against the wall, sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Should I bring you anything?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch shook his head. Even Felt looked worried, an expression he hadn't seen very often on her face.

"I will just rest," Lelouch said, gritting his teeth. The black hands, the Witch's scent. The effect was weakening. "I'm afraid this won't be an isolated incident."

Reinhard nodded, his eyes hard. Of course, Ferris' words still rang true. If there was someone who could remove a curse like this, a curse that was holding onto him with the hands of the Witch, then it would be one who defeated her. If Ferris had noticed the Witch's scent, he didn't show it, so there was a bit of hope that this loop wasn't a lost cause yet.

"Could I ask a favor of you?" Lelouch spoke up again, swallowing. Reinhard nodded without missing a beat, giving Lelouch a small smile. "I've been invited to the Barielle mansion today, but I can't go in this condition, obviously."

"Want me to write a letter then?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch nodded. If the assassin became aware that he won't be arriving at the mansion, then Tristan and Henry might stay alive. Remaining close to Reinhard would stop the assassin from making his move. "I'll get to it after breakfast then."

"Thank you," Lelouch said. Having a friend like Reinhard didn't seem too bad.

"Come, Lady Felt," Reinhard said. Felt looked between him and Lelouch as the red-haired knight stepped out of the room. Reinhard understood Lelouch well enough without any further words being exchanged - a bit of time alone would be nice.

When Felt left the room with her nose high and her arms crossed, Lelouch waited until the door behind them closed until he collapsed to the ground. All he had to do was to get rid of the scent. Get rid of the mana.

The book on Yang magic has explained it quite clearly. Lelouch raised his hands in front of him, visualizing his gate and pushing the black mana towards it.

"Sabal," he said. Magic felt 'warm'. It was not exactly pleasant, but not bad either. In this case, his magic began to feel like holding his hands in boiling water. The black mana and some of his own began to seep out, forming into a dagger at a snail's pace. Compared to his fast creation against Elsa, this one took way too long.

When he was done, the dagger fell on the ground, and Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief, the black mana gone. The dagger in front of him looked different to the last creation. Rather than a normal blade, the golden hilt was holding onto a black blade.

Unable to hold onto the creation without making it self-sustainable on environmental mana, Lelouch watched as it began to break apart, flaking away as if a wind was blowing on a pile of ashes.

Standing up, Lelouch watched the last parts of the dagger vanish before he gave another sigh, wiping the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. It opened up new possibilities in case he ever wanted to try telling someone minor details of the looping curse, but the lengths he had to go to destroy the scent afterwards might not be worth it.

Stepping out of the room, Lelouch walked to the right, ready to join Reinhard and Felt at breakfast, only to walk into said knight of the Royal Guard, leaning against the wall. Lelouch took a step back.

"You know," Lelouch said accusingly. He was still not feeling that well, and there was no way that Reinhard couldn't just take him down. Reinhard gave a small smile.

"I could feel it," Reinhard admitted, shrugging. "I know what kind of curse it is now, at least. I understand why you wanted to keep it secret."

Lelouch's hand twitched. Resigning himself to the bad end, Lelouch shrugged.

"I suppose you'll have to report it to your superiors?" Lelouch asked. Surprisingly, Reinhard just shook his head, moving away from the wall and taking a step to Lelouch.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you're not one of those Witch cultists," Reinhard said, a large white grin on his face. Lelouch frowned. The Archbishops. "I'll keep your secret, because we're friends."

"Friends, huh?" Lelouch repeated the word carefully, his shoulders sagging. Taking a step towards the dining room, he waited for Reinhard to follow before continuing. "I suppose I've misjudged you."

"Oh?" Reinhard said. Lelouch couldn't see his face, but he knew the man was still smiling softly. "I suppose I'm not simply that noble who is trying to manipulate his queen candidate, then?"

To Lelouch's credit, he didn't even miss a beat before answering. Reinhard was very observant, he knew, but obviously he was completely wrong about a lot of things.

"No," Lelouch admitted. "You're not. What gave you the impression I saw you in such a light?"

"Eh, call it a gut feeling. You'd not be the only one who threw that at my head," Reinhard said. They walked into the dining room, where Felt had already sat down. Rom was still missing, as was Wilhelm. "If I had to be honest, I'd say what interested me about Lady Felt is what interests me in you as well."

Having only caught the end of the conversation, Felt stared at them with wide eyes. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard turned to her as well, a quizzical look on his face.

"You're gay!" she said loudly. The maid who just walked into the room to serve the food made a small noise, red in the face. "I heard it clearly! You're interested in him!"

"That's not what I said at all," Reinhard said, giving a rather half-hearted dismissal. "I just meant that I'd like to be friends with you and him both. I'm your knight, after all."

"Yeah, right," Felt said, not sounding convinced in the slightest. Lelouch shook his head, not very invested in whatever theories she had. Sitting down, the former emperor smiled at the maid who served the food. She flushed more. "So why aren't you married yet? Don't you nobles marry early?"

"My father isn't very interested in marrying me off to some family," Reinhard answered the question simply, sitting down next to her. "And I've long since decided that I'd prefer to find someone like my grandfather had."

"Oh?" Lelouch asked. "How did your grandfather find his wife?"

"He defeated the former Sword Saint, my grandmother in a duel," Reinhard said. "I heard he got beaten up pretty badly all the time until he finally managed to win."

"So you want to be beaten?" Lelouch asked. Felt snorted.

"That sounds stupid," she said. "Shouldn't you just find someone you love?"

"Ah, I suppose if I do that, I'll just do that." His smile widened. "But I suppose you could say that I'm attracted to strong people."

"People!" she said, stabbing the fork into the food in front of her. "Not women!"

"Ahahaha," Reinhard laughed it off. "It seems you are rather invested in my love life, Lady Felt."

"I'm not," she said, vehemently shaking her head, a small blush creeping up on her face. "I'll prove that you two are into each other, though, mark my words!"

"I'll be looking forward to it then," Reinhard said, giving her a thumbs up. Lelouch sighed.

"You'll just make her more persistent if you encourage her like that, Reinhard," Lelouch said. The red-haired knight winked at him.

"Of course," he said. "It's good to see someone invested in something. Just like you and your magic, or me and my swordsmanship."

"I suppose that's true," Lelouch said, lifting up a fork. His hand was shaking, strongly. Letting go of it quickly, Lelouch gave the food a look before sighing. "Ah, I seem to have lost my appetite after the ordeal earlier."

"That's too bad," Felt said, speaking through mouths full of bread.

"Lady Felt, please, swallow before you speak," Reinhard said. She stuck her tongue out at him, crumbs falling out onto her clothes. He put a handkerchief under her chin, catching some of them. Lelouch had the feeling the girl was quite okay with being pampered like that occasionally. This time, she didn't even try to hit him.

Raising his hand off the table slightly, Lelouch grimaced. No way he could write the letter instead, it seemed he still had to rely on Reinhard for that.

"Reinhard, about that person Ferris spoke of," Lelouch said. The red-haired knight wiped a few crumbs from Felt's face while looking towards Lelouch. "The Sage. Is he dead?"

"Nobody ever found the body if he is," Reinhard said. "Some people have hopes that he is still alive, there's rumors of where he might be, but nobody ever returned alive from there."

"I see," Lelouch said. "I suppose I'll have to lift my curse in some other way then."

"That's…" Reinhard began. Lelouch shook his head, cutting the man off.

"I know it's unlikely." Lelouch gave the man a smile, his hands on his lap, hiding them under the table. He didn't want to get rid of the looping, it was useful, in a way, but the things surrounding it, the Witch's scent, the pain of speaking about it. If he could get rid of that part of the curse only… "But I have nothing but the time to try, right?"

"I suppose," Reinhard said. The knight sounded uncertain, but resigned himself to Lelouch's decision. "I've got the feeling we might have a rowdy day tomorrow."

"Hm?" Felt turned to her knight.

"Why that?" Lelouch asked.

"I know that Ferris' injuries were an accident," Reinhard said. Lelouch grimaced. "But his master, Lady Karsten, she might be unhappy."

"Ferris decided to heal him," Felt said. "And you paid that cat to do it, all he had to do was refuse."

She was new to it, but not without a brain. Lelouch could see that Felt had thought about the matter before Reinhard brought it up, her blatant and confident statement showing that.

"That's true, but nobles are unpredictable," Reinhard said. Lelouch nodded in agreement. "Lady Karsten is unlikely to blame us for it, but that doesn't mean she'll let the situation go unchallenged."

"Unchallenged? She might seek reparations?" Lelouch asked. Felt pursed her lips as she picked up a glass next to her to drink some water.

"Fucking nobles," she muttered.

"No," Reinhard said. "She'll first listen to our side of the story, then she'll make a decision. Ferris will have told her everything by then, so it's more a formality."

"Posturing and pretending," Lelouch said, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'll be awaiting her then. Meeting another candidate sounds too good to pass up."

"A rival for that rotten throne, eh?" Felt asked. "Let her come."

"I fear you and her might actually get along splendidly," Reinhard told Felt, chuckling. Lelouch raised his hand to his face, his eyelids heavy. The tiredness wouldn't quite leave yet, it wasn't just exhaustion from using too much mana. "And you!"

Reinhard pointed at Lelouch, making the young man blink through his tired gaze.

"You go rest," Reinhard said. "I'll call for you if something comes up. But you need to stop pushing yourself so hard."

Lelouch laughed softly. "I'm not someone to push myself, you should know that."

"With twigs like that as legs, I'm wondering how you can stand on your own," Reinhard said. The teasing tone in voice made Lelouch smile. "Now off you go, I'll write that letter to the Barielle's in a bit, get some more sleep."

"Of course," Lelouch said, standing up. The third set of information would come today - if he wasn't at the mansion, but instead under the protection of the Astraea family with Reinhard here, what would happen? Tristan and Henry staying alive? The assassin trying to break in here? "Thank you, Reinhard."

"Don't worry about it," Reinhard said. "We're friends. You should trust me a bit more."

Lelouch's smile weakened as he stepped out of the dining room, up to his room. Easier said than done.

* * *

Lelouch was restless. Despite his exhaustion, he was unable to keep his eyes closed. White spots in his vision flashed up and made him blink, strange itches on his body made him twitch every few seconds.

All traces of the scent were gone, so why did he feel worse than before? His condition was improving right after the dagger had dissolved, and now it was rapidly diminishing again.

He couldn't have been poisoned if he hadn't touched his food. Maybe he was simply sick? No. The itch became worse, and Lelouch barely stopped himself from scratching away the skin on his neck when it exploded in pain.

Something touched him. His eyes snapped open, and his body locked up. A weight settled on him.

The world was white. His body hurt, itched, and someone was sitting on him. His eyes wide, Lelouch could only watch in sick fascination as strands of silver hair grew from his body. The weight became worse, pressing down on him. A head appeared under the locks of silver hair, but the face was not visible. Neck and shoulders followed, pristine skin of a nude body ripped through his own, destroying his clothes. It was a woman, obviously. The face was cloaked by black hands, hundreds of which also held up the infinitely long hair to stop it from falling. Pointed ears became visible.

She stood on his chest, making it impossible to breathe. Lelouch tried to struggle, knock her away from him, get himself help. His struggle was rewarded when he was able to move his neck and look down, where he found himself held down by more of the black hands.

They moved one foot away from his chest, all the weight concentrated on one leg now, and making him grunt in pain. The other foot came up to his face, one toe trailing down his face and forcing him to look up to her again. Then, she shifted her weight, crushing his head under her foot.

"Mine."

He heard one word, and she was gone.

Drawing a sharp breath, Lelouch threw himself out of the bed, crawling away from it until he hit the door with his back. He held his neck, his chest, his face.

The clothes were still whole, the pain in his body gone, the itches as well. A bad dream. A nightmare due to his tiredness, nothing more. Checking for the Witch's scent, Lelouch found only his own mana flowing through him. The shock of the nightmare waking him up, Lelouch's tiredness was as fleeting as the dream.

Someone knocked on his door.

"Lelouch?" he heard Reinhard speak. Lelouch looked out of the window, the sun was already down.

"Yes?" Lelouch said, standing up.

"Are you alright? I heard something-"

"I'm alright," Lelouch said a bit too quickly. Removing himself off the ground, he opened the door. Reinhard stared at him with wide eyes.

"You don't really look alright," Reinhard said. Lelouch chuckled.

"I suppose I could do with a bath," Lelouch said. "Any new developments?"

"Yes, quite, we got this one letter for you," he said. Lelouch blinked. "It's from the Lord Mathers, a thank you and invitation to discuss a reward with you."

Lelouch furrowed his eyebrows. Something he missed due to his earlier deaths. It seemed that he could still learn more.

"He's the sponsor of Lady Emilia, correct?" Lelouch asked. Of course he was, Lelouch knew that. On Reinhard's nod, he smiled. "Do you think I should accept the invitation?"

"It's your decision," Reinhard said. "I don't have a lot to do with him. My friend Julius knows him better than I do."

"Julius?" Lelouch asked.

"A member of the Royal Guard like me," Reinhard answered. "He's the knight of Anastasia Hoshin."

"I see," Lelouch said. "I think I will wait before accepting the invitation, I still have things to do around here."

Like take care of that assassin and find out more about the circumstances surrounding the assassination.

"A bad dream," Reinhard muttered. Lelouch gave him a curious look, but the red-haired knight simply shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't feel anything, but I have a bad feeling."

"You don't really miss anything, do you?" Lelouch asked, chuckling softly. Reinhard lowered his head. "It's alright. I promise you, if anything comes up, I'll come to you first."

The silver haired elven body on him. There was no doubt what a nightmare that was.

"Of course," Reinhard said. "What are friends for, right?"

That word was thrown around too casually lately, for Lelouch's taste. But for someone whom he had thought a manipulative noble to prove him wrong again and again, it gave Lelouch a weird feeling.

Either he was the genuine article of a good friend, or Lelouch was the one who was being manipulated right now. Considering how hard the latter was to do...

Lelouch could do with a friend.

"Sir," a servant came up the stairs, all but rushing and slightly out of breath. "Sir, Lady Crusch Karsten has arrived. Lord Wilhelm granted her entry."

"I see," Reinhard said, smiling at the man. "Please, have them be comfortable, we will join them in a bit."

Lelouch grit his teeth. He was not looking very presentable right now, nor did he feel like playing politics with a royal candidate in his current state.

"Get yourself cleaned up," Reinhard said, as if reading his mind. "I'll keep make sure that Lady Felt doesn't say anything we might regret."

Lelouch chuckled, nodding at the man in silent thanks. A quick bath wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

When Lelouch stepped out of the baths, he found his golden and white emperor robes instead of the other clothes he had taken with him. He remembered that Reinhard said they were taken to be cleaned not too long ago, and it seemed that this was done by now. While he had no value for them anymore, and said so, Reinhard didn't seem so think so.

Sighing, he dressed in them and was about to move back to his room and change his clothes. Unfortunately for him, Reinhard was waiting in front of his door with a large smile on his face. The reason these robes had been there became apparent quickly.

"Is this some kind of prank?" Lelouch asked, his lips twitching.

"Well," Reinhard said. "You're about to meet a princess, I think being dressed the part isn't that bad."

"And what is wrong with the other clothes I bought?"

"They're harder to make fun of," Reinhard said. Lelouch frowned at him, but the man just laughed. "It's just a joke. I feel like Lady Karsten might get a better impression of you in these clothes. You should keep them."

"I see," Lelouch said. So Reinhard thought ahead. While the people who knew the Royal Guard would never confuse his clothes for theirs, as proven by people like Rom and Reinhard himself, there was apparently something cultural about it. "I suppose Lady Felt has been forced into a dress as well?"

Reinhard laughed, making Lelouch smile.

"What is it about my clothes that makes them more presentable?" Lelouch asked.

"The Sage, his name was Flugel," Reinhard said, as they walked down the stairs. "Flugel means 'Wing'. The wings on your clothes and your interest in magic make for an interesting image."

"I see," Lelouch said. Flugel means Wing. He knew some German, of course, so he assumed so, but… "What language does the word Flugel come from?"

"Huh? It's… hm," Reinhard said, leading him to a door. "I'm not sure, if I recall correctly, it's what Flugel himself told people."

So Flugel knew German? That'd be something to inquire about with people who might be more familiar with the elusive Sage of lore.

Opening the door, Reinhard revealed a large room with masterfully crafted large chairs. Something akin to a living room, it seemed. On the one side, Felt sat with her legs wide despite her dress, in stark contrast to the elegant young woman across her, dressed in what seemed to be a military uniform.

A military uniform that wouldn't look out of place in his world. Giving the amber eyed woman a soft smile, Lelouch bowed as he stepped forward. She stood, giving him a curt bow as well. Ferris and Wilhelm were standing besides her chair.

Ferris had his hands behind his back, and Wilhelm was practically oozing hostility.

"It's unbecoming to keep guests waiting," Crusch Karsten declared, sitting down again. When Lelouch rose from his bow, a flash of white made him blink.

"I apologize," Lelouch said. "But I'm afraid I was not looking very presentable after resting."

"I understand," she said. "Please, have a seat."

The steel in her voice made Lelouch twitch. Where Priscilla had given Lelouch the feeling of standing in front of some strange mix of Clovis and Schneizel, this woman reminded him of Cornelia.

Reinhard stood next to Felt's seat, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here and out of that dress as fast as possible. Taking a seat next to Felt, Lelouch bit his tongue as his back flared up in pain when he sat down.

"I've heard of what transpired this morning," Crusch said. She was gazing at Lelouch without blinking, not with a glare, or an accusing look. The stone faced young woman had a presence that made Lelouch forget the strange pain in his back. Like Reinhard, she was refreshing, in a different way.

"Yes," Lelouch said, letting the genuine regret he felt about the situation taint his voice. He met her gaze, remembering what Reinhard had explained about her. Someone who liked when people work hard for what they want. "I'm afraid my condition led to an unfortunate accident."

"Reinhard called it that as well," Crusch said. "An accident. I'm not quite convinced."

"Oh?" Lelouch said. He didn't like the tone of her voice as she said that. Wilhelm's hands twitched. When the feeling of a hand was on Lelouch's neck, Lelouch raised his own and slapped it over the spot. Crusch twitched.

"Are you alright?" she asked. The accusing tone in her voice was gone, replaced by something that might be worry or curiosity.

"Yes," Lelouch said. No. Something was going on.

"It's that curse," Ferris said. He wasn't smiling, even though his voice had the usual cheer. "He can't talk about it."

No, if it was that curse, he could take care of it by simply not saying anything. He swallowed, the pain in his back flaring up again.

"I'm alright," Lelouch said. Reinhard looked unconvinced, but didn't speak up. "Please, let us continue. You accused me of foul play."

"No, I'm not," Crusch said. "I'm saying it was not an accident. I feel like this was arranged."

"Someone arranged for me to be cursed to hurt your servant?" Lelouch asked. Crusch shook her head again. "You're not very open for a person that has been described as direct to me."

"Let me summarize all the information I've been able to gather, Lelouch Lamperouge," she said. Lelouch tensed at the use of his full name, leaning forward to relieve some of the pain in his back. "You appeared in Lugnica not long ago, there is absolutely nothing about you before that day. Information about nobles in every kingdom couldn't dig up anything about you, assuming you were some disowned son or even a bastard."

Lelouch grimaced. He hadn't expected a place without computers and surveillance to gather information that quickly, nor that his lack of a past here could lead to such an inquiry.

"I admit, I've only been gathering information since Miss Felt was found and brought to the castle, so I might have missed something, but make no mistake, if there is something you have been hiding, I will be sure to find it."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Lelouch said, leaning further forward. He had to look slightly up now to meet her gaze. Something moved next to her, a person. Lelouch blinked, pushing the hand from his neck up to his eyes. "Of course, that doesn't answer what foul play you're claiming about my curse or Sir Ferris' wounds."

It was Wilhelm who spoke up.

"You've been in contact with Miss Emilia, the Witch's relative."

"That name is completely inappropriate, Lady Karsten," Reinhard said, frowning at his grandfather.

"Indeed," Crusch said, glaring at the old man. "I apologize for my servant. It is not Emilia I do not trust."

"Who then?" Reinhard asked.

"Roswaal L. Mathers," Crusch said. Reinhard blinked, and Lelouch leaned back again, slowly drawing his hand away from his eyes. She ignored his antics due to Ferris' explanation. "He's the only mage I know that would be capable of cursing someone in such a way, and he might have done so to inevitably set up a situation in which Miss Felt died. Due to the curse being discovered earlier, it was Ferris who was hit-"

"Gahhh!" Felt shouted in frustrating, standing up. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

Crusch looked surprised at the outburst, a look Lelouch hadn't expected to see on the young woman's face. It was an almost childlike expression on such a usually serious face.

"Stop being so two faced!" Felt demanded. "Be direct! Be straight up about what you want! Wanna fight it out? That it? He'll take you on."

"Lady Felt…" Reinhard said. She ignored him, crossing her arms.

"I know what you're saying," Felt said, shaking her fist towards Crusch. "He purposely let himself be cursed so he can't talk about it-"

"She has not said that at all," Lelouch said, gritting his teeth. Felt blinked at him.

"No?" she asked. "She sounded pretty accusing."

"She's saying that I might be a pawn in someone else's game to hurt you," Lelouch said. Felt made an 'ah' sound before sitting down again. Crusch smiled at the young girl. "I can tell you for sure that Lord Mathers had nothing to do with this. Reinhard, tell her."

This entire loop was full of pain. He'd have to end it soon, so he could afford to be reckless now. Reinhard looked at him as if looking for confirmation, and Lelouch nodded. Sighing, the red-haired knight stepped up, in front of Lelouch as if to shield him.

"It seems that the curse is the Witch's," Reinhard said. Crusch didn't react, but her servants did. Ferris flinched back, while Wilhelm stepped forward, his hands going towards his sides, where swords would be strapped if he wasn't at home.

"So it was Emilia-"

"No," Reinhard said. "The Witch."

"I see," Crusch said calmly. "The Witch's curse. Of course, that makes sense."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her nonchalant attitude. Felt was looking back and forth, confused.

"Say, Lelouch Lamperouge," Crusch said. "You're an aspiring sage, are you not?"

"Hm?" Lelouch made a noise through grit teeth. "I suppose my interest in magic and my outfit made you think so?"

"Possibly," Crusch gave a noncommittal answer. "Yang mages are rare, and so far I could hire none, would you work for me if I promise to find someone to lift your curse?"

"No," Lelouch said. "I'm afraid I'll be long dead before that happens."

She frowned, but said nothing else. Reinhard was looking at him in surprise.

"You said you're alright-"

"I'm not."

The pain had grown worse, the flashes of white, the person that appeared in his vision next to everyone he looked at. Lelouch's ears were ringing, his chest pounded. It got to the point where it was torture, worse than the whips, worse than the shanking. The feeling of pain loosened his tongue slightly.

"Sabal," Lelouch said. A dagger appeared in his hands as he drove them towards his chest. If he tried to walk out of the room, his legs would give out. He had to hurry. Unfortunately, he underestimated Reinhard's reflexes. Both he and Wilhelm had grasped his hands and stopped him, the pain increasing.

In the white world, the Witch of Envy was embracing him, her fingers tracing his back.

His back exploded in a shower of blood, painting everyone in the room red.

"Ferris, heal him!" Crusch ordered. Ferris hesitated. He could see the young man's hands tremble as he stepped forward.

Too many variables. Lelouch messed up, he couldn't confirm where the pain came from. Was it because he didn't go to the Barielle mansion? Was it because he tried to talk about the loop and destroyed her mana? He couldn't tell. The blue glow around Ferris' trembling hands spoke volumes about the young man's fear of him after the ordeal this morning.

Lelouch died before Ferris had to touch him.


	9. Urchins Singing

**Chapter 9: Urchins Singing**

* * *

The problem with the assassin was his skill in stealth.

It might've been a strange thought to have when his first reaction to receiving a letter from Tristan Barielle was to gasp in pain and keel over, unable to keep consciousness once again. But unfortunately, because of his oversight about changing too much at once, Lelouch couldn't be sure if the mansion or the Witch's scent led to her rather aggressive pursuit of his life.

If this was the Witch of Envy and not just some illusion that some kind of poison or curse cooked up, then Lelouch could understand why people feared her. Emilia would be hard pressed to gather any support like this, but the people only know rumors of the Witch, her story, so there was still a chance.

When Lelouch came by, his eyes slowly opening, he woke up inside the room where Felt was receiving a massage from Ferris earlier. The soft blue glow and energy were moving over his back, and Lelouch had the chance to prevent his earlier mistake.

"Ah." Lelouch drew a sharp breath. The last time, it was just the knife wounds, this time, it was worse. The pain was unbearable, and staying unconscious until the healing was done sounded like a preferable alternative. Reinhard knelt down in front of him, looking him in the eye.

"Lelouch," he said softly. "Can you understand me?"

Lelouch nodded, the pain in his neck gone.

"Can you tell me what happened? Ferris was telling us that this might have been a curse-"

"Maybe," Lelouch said. "Did he find any trace of it?"

His voice was weak, but he asked the question clearly. Reinhard looked up.

"No," Ferris said. "If it was a curse, it's either gone or too deep inside you to find it. I'm not proficient enough in them."

"Aren't you the greatest healer in Lugnica?" Felt asked. Ferris made a high pitched noise, seemingly uncomfortable about the scrutiny of the little princess.

"I'm a healer," Ferris said. "I treat wounds, and I might be able to treat a Mabeast's curse, but I'm not a curse breaker."

"I see," Lelouch said. The pain was dulling, almost to the point of the knife wounds from the last loop, but not quite there yet. "Reinhard, could you do me a favor?"

"Anything," Reinhard said without hesitation. Lelouch smiled softly.

"I've received an invitation from the Barielle's, if I remember the servant's word correctly," Lelouch said. "I'd like to accept, but unfortunately, I don't feel very good."

"Do you want me to help you there?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch hadn't considered simply getting help against the assassin from Reinhard for this loop, but… it might not be bad. The debt would not be to him, but to the knight who saved them, or the assassin might not attack at all.

"That'd be kind," Lelouch said, gritting his teeth when Ferris' hands moved down his back. "I'm going to play some chess with him, it shouldn't take too long."

"Alright," Reinhard said. "I'm not sure if I can leave Lady Felt alone here, though. And without invitation, they might not let me in-"

"Don't worry," Lelouch said. "I'll simply write them a letter, Tristan Barielle seems rather insistent for me to come today, so he'll have to accept two more guests."

Reinhard laughed, and even Ferris seemed a bit amused. After a few minutes, the pain was gone, and Ferris' hands were still okay. Lelouch stood up after Ferris removed himself from his back, rolling his shoulders and stretching.

"Thank you, Ferris," Lelouch said. Ferris saluted.

"I'm only doing what Reinhard paid me for!" Ferris said, smiling like a cat.

"Still, thank you both," Lelouch said. "I'll be sure to pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," Reinhard said, crossing his arms. "I can't watch a friend in agony."

Lelouch sighed through his nose. Indebted to the chivalrous knight. Giving the man a small smile, Lelouch nodded. "Of course, I already owe Lady Felt a few coins already, do you think you can take that over for me?"

"Nope." Reinhard gave him a thumbs down, grinning widely. "She's already emptying my pockets whenever I pitch her something she doesn't want to do."

Lelouch laughed, and Ferris giggled. Felt was crossing her arms, looking to the side and pouting.

"I'm not that bad," she muttered. She definitely was.

* * *

The Wind Dragon carriages, a name that Lelouch had finally learned after some time of just using 'the carriage', was a wonderful invention. The Wind Dragons weren't just used for carriages, but sometimes for delivering letters. Due to their special Blessing, they were capable of reaching incredible speeds, and after writing the letter quickly, Lelouch expected an answer after breakfast.

Sitting at the dining table, Lelouch enjoyed the meal, his hands steady and his body free of all ailments. Ferris sat there too, playing with his food.

"Hey, Ferris," Felt said, drawing all attention to her. "Why are old man Rom and that old fart missing together since yesterday?"

"I don't know~" Ferris said, pressing his knuckles onto the top of his head. Felt grunted. "I think they know each other. All old people do."

Reinhard laughed, but Felt didn't look very satisfied with the answer. Giving him a disapproving stare, Felt stabbed the fork into the food in front of her.

"How'd some guy from the slums know a noble like that?"

"Well, Rom is a giant," Reinhard said, taking a handkerchief. Felt had a few crumbs around her mouth. He was unnaturally big, but actually a demi-human? Lelouch couldn't tell the difference most of the time. His size could've just had to do with the magic that flowed around the world, after all. "And considering how old he is, they might have met once in the demi-human war."

The conflict where Wilhelm made a name for himself.

"That makes sense," Ferris said. "So they're old comrades?"

"Maybe," Lelouch said. "Or maybe they're old enemies."

Wiping the crumbs away from Felt's mouth, Reinhard spoke up. "We could just ask them when they're back."

A knock on the dining room door echoed a bit later, and a man stepped in, holding a letter.

"Lord Barielle has answered," he said. Lelouch nodded.

"Could you summarize it, we're currently eating," Reinhard ordered. The man nodded, opening the letter.

"Unable to accept these conditions under current circumstances, Lord Barielle would like to invite Lelouch Lamperouge, Sir Reinhard van Astraea and the Royal Candidate Felt to the public park, where the rose trees bloom."

"Rose trees?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard sighed.

"The public park's not so public noble spot," Reinhard said. Felt grumbled.

"I don't want to meet some shitty nobles in a park," she said.

"Oh?" Lelouch said, grinning. The assassin might actually ignore him in such a public spot, and if he suddenly felt itches all over his body, he knew that not going to the mansion was the variable that led to his rather painful demise. "You wouldn't want to sit in the park with all those open pockets brimming with gold?"

Felt twitched. Reinhard gave Lelouch a disapproving look. The former emperor just shrugged at him, what can you do when money calls?

"And all that jewelry," Lelouch said. "Wouldn't there be-"

"I'm going!" Felt said, smashing her hands on the table as she stands up. "I'm so going! Reinhard, get the carriage ready!"

Reinhard sighed, giving Lelouch a glare that spoke of the betrayal he felt. Ferris snorted before breaking out into loud laughter.

* * *

Where 'Ghetto', 'Residental district', 'Castle' and 'Market district' were separate and large on their own, the park itself was also a huge part of the city. Closer to the ghetto than to the residential district, on the northern side of the city, the park was presenting itself in beautiful lush colors that were muted by the clouds hiding the sun.

The Wind Dragon carriage stopped nearby, and a servant opened the door for all of them to step out. Ferris had decided to remain behind, probably reporting whatever he had found out about the curse to Crusch like he had done before. At least he wouldn't have to deal with the backlash of him hurting his hands again.

Felt was in a dress, a shorter one, as she walked next to Reinhard, following a paved path towards trees with actual roses in their crowns. The red and green tinted trees were on the top of a hill, with half a dozen of knights standing at guard everywhere around. Normal knights, not the Royal Guard, though. Lelouch couldn't tell just how different they were in terms of strength, but from what he had seen, the Barielle guards were mostly useless.

"Hm," Felt said, stopping. Before they even arrived at the guards surrounding the rose trees, but close enough to see that Tristan Barielle and Henry Miload were standing near a lot of other finely dressed people, the group came to a halt.

"Is something the matter, Lady Felt?" Reinhard asked. She was looking towards a group of children, playing in the dirt with a ball. When he saw where her gaze went, Reinhard blinked, but said nothing, waiting for her answer.

"I was one of them," she said. "I'm still one of them."

"You aren't," Reinhard said. She glared at him, but he just smiled back. "I understand what you mean, but the worlds you live in right now, they're different."

She growled, as if she wanted to retort. Sighing, she crossed her arms.

"I guess I'd not react any favorably to nobles suddenly deciding to walking up to me if I was in their shoes," she said. Lelouch scowled slightly. That was true, but he could see she felt bad about it. "That's why I want to help them when I'm queen."

When. Not if. The girl was becoming more confident by the day.

"I suppose the Urchin Queen should be taking care of the urchins, shouldn't she?" Lelouch asked. A poke in the right direction. "What would the nobles say if they saw one who might become queen play with the dirty children in the park…"

Felt twitched slightly.

"Reinhard," Felt said, steel in her voice. "This is an order."

The man bowed, his hand on his chest.

"Yes, my lady?" he asked. Felt smiled widely, grabbing the hem of her skirt and ripping it apart with her hands. He winced at the display, but waited for the command.

"I'll go mingle with the commoners," she said, a bit of humor in her voice. "Don't complain."

"Yes, milady," Reinhard said, nodding. Lelouch grinned at the display, taking out the invitation and stepping towards the line of guards. One of the urchins threw a ball at Felt, and she just caught it, throwing it back.

"Halt," one of the guards said. "I don't recognize you."

Handing over the invitation, Lelouch waved towards Tristan, who was walking down the hill towards him. With the guards and nobles capable of magic like this, he finally had a chance.

"Let him through," Tristan said. "He's my guest."

The guard didn't even take a second look at the invitation before nodding, handing it back and letting Lelouch step through.

"I see you've not exaggerated about your condition," Tristan said. Lelouch was still rather pale, and even the healing didn't completely remove the tiredness of dealing with such a mental strain from the pangs of pain in his back. "Please, have a seat and some tea."

Lelouch nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Lelouch sat across Henry.

"I don't believe we've met yet," Henry said. "My name is Henry Miload."

"I've heard a lot about you," Lelouch responded, smiling. "Will I be playing against you today? I've assumed that the invitation was a challenge by Lord Barielle."

"Yes," Henry said. "I've heard him talk about your skill and I just had to see if it was true. I'm rather infamous in that regard as well."

"I see," Lelouch said. He glanced to the side, where he could see some nobles whisper while glaring daggers towards Felt. "Then I suppose I should let you offer the bet, as my challenger."

"As you wish," Henry said, throwing three golden coins on a second table. A chessboard and pieces had been prepared already, someone approached with tea, a young woman in a maid outfit. "Thank you."

The servant girl bowed and left. Tristan took a seat in another chair, looking nervous.

"Say, Lelouch… are you a supporter of Lady Felt?"

Lelouch grinned. The same conversation, just a different background.

* * *

When the match was finally finished, there were quite a few nobles who had gathered around them to observe. Henry, polite enough to avoid the topic in such public, had not revealed Tristan's debt. The fact that the match was over quickly and that the day was still young helped immensely.

Lelouch relaxed slightly. No assassination. No itches.

It seemed that messing with the Witch's scent was a bad idea, but not going to the mansion was alright.

"Ah," Henry said. "More challengers, it seems."

Someone approached the table. A young man with black hair.

Lelouch tensed, fear bubbling up inside him. But he had nothing to fear. He knew it was him, so he had the advantage. All he had to do was block any attack of his until Reinhard rushed here to help them. And the possibility of being wrong also remained open. If the young man wasn't the assassin, he had something to earn.

"Hello," Lelouch said, smiling softly. Henry stood up, letting the man sit down as Lelouch reset the chessboard. "Do you wish to play?"

"Yes," the young man said. His voice was rather rough, yet diminutive. "I'd like to challenge you."

"I'm happy to oblige," Lelouch said. More nobles around him. Most of them probably capable of magic. "What are you offering?"

"This," the young man said. He pulled something out of his pockets. A small glass box with a silver crystal inside.

"Ah, I'm not familiar with this object," Lelouch said. "Could you explain it to me?"

"That's a Geis," Henry said. Lelouch's eyebrows twitched at the word. "It's a special magical artifact, incredibly rare. It holds the power to force two people to comply with a condition."

Lelouch's hands twitched to his pocket.

"It's worth over a hundred sacred gold due to the difficulty of obtaining one," Henry continued. Sagging with his shoulders, Lelouch sighed.

"I see," Lelouch said. "I'm afraid I have nothing that equals this, sir."

"Don't worry, this one isn't worth as much," the young man said. "It already has a condition engraved onto it."

The young man held the Geis and held it out for Lelouch to take. Leaning forward slightly, Lelouch grasped the object.

"Haven't they been outlawed?" Tristan asked. Henry shook his head.

"Only in Gusteko," he said. "I heard they used them for death matches-"

It exploded, driving shards into Lelouch's and the black haired young man's hand. Tricked? He had been tricked by something these magically adept pieces of shit nobles should be able to recognize easily-

He got angry. Why? It wasn't in him to be irrationally angry at people, they needed to commit a bigger evil, a greater mistake. He messed up by touching it, but he was still angry.

Gritting his teeth, Lelouch stepped backwards, knocking the chair over as the shards of the Geis spread around them, forming a sphere of mana that pushed all the nobles back.

The young man began to laugh.

"I knew it…" he said. "Greedy piece of shit, disgusting boy-molesting fruit, degenerate rich asshole…"

The young man's insults became louder and louder, and more insulting each time.

Lelouch could see Reinhard outside of the sphere, trying to stab it open with a sword from a guard.

"It doesn't matter if you're the Sword Saint or not!" the young man shouted. His fine appearance suddenly looked a lot more disheveled. Slightly hunching over, he pulled out two northern daggers, the same kind that Elsa had used. "The Geis is absolute!"

"Sabal," Lelouch said. A dagger appeared in his right hand. "So this thing forces two people to comply with the condition engraved on it?"

"Yes!" the young man shouted in glee. "The last two people who touched it need to fight to their death, and anyone trying to break it will kill them both!"

That made Reinhard stop. The sphere stopped expanding, leaving an arena open.

"Of course," Lelouch said. He had nothing to fear from death, information could be gathered even if he failed, but just letting himself be killed wasn't high on his list of reasonable decisions. "Do you have a name, assassin?"

"I'm Omairat, your executioner!" he said, pointing the daggers forward.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you," Lelouch said, raising his empty left hand towards his chest. "That assassinations work better when they're done in secret?"

Omairat's face twisted into an angry grimace, and he jumped into a wall, using inhuman speed to keep him going and defying gravity in his rush towards Lelouch.

"Pieri," Lelouch said. A golden glow surrounded his body, destroying all traces of tiredness and increasing his strength. Raising his hand towards Omairat, he continued, summoning a shield. "Lumus."

The two daggers hit the shield, and Lelouch felt his arm's increased strength fail against the onslaught. Attempting a stab to Omairat's torso led to the young man dodging, flipping backwards until he was on the other wall again. The increased power wouldn't hold long, and he would be very tired afterwards, but Lelouch could see easily how this place would be his advantage.

"Reinhard," Lelouch said. The red-haired man looked towards him, worried but listening. "Get Ferris real quick. I'll be fine."

Reinhard nodded. If he wasn't able to find him, then any water mage among these nobles should do. While many ran away, some watched in sick fascination. This dome wanted to make him angry, but he ruled anger, he controlled it.

Raising his arm towards the sky, Lelouch held the shield forward and considered the concept of the spells for a moment. One can increase the power of a spell by adding syllables to the incantation. One could change the intention of the spell by changing syllables in the original incantaiton.

"Ul Sasam," Lelouch said. Intent and words. Praying for a miracle, Lelouch and Omairat both looked up as hundreds of golden needles appeared. "Ul Lumus."

The shield formed around his body and was draining his mana. The dome stopped the needles from spreading too far and had them rain down within seconds. The golden shield stopped him from seeing through, but did not stop the sounds.

"Youuuuu!"

Omairat's angry shout was drowned by screams and Lelouch felt his body give out when the needles impacted the shield. Unable to see what was happening outside, Lelouch dissolved the shield when the sounds of screaming stopped.

The dome around them shattered, and Lelouch fell onto a heap whole and dissolving needles, right into a puddle of blood from where Omairat had attempted to scratch open his shield. The man's body was still twitching.

Henry rushed to him, helping him away from the needles.

"Is anyone here a healer?" he asked. Lelouch hissed in pain as he pulled some of the needles out.


	10. Zealot

**Chapter 10: Zealot**

* * *

Lelouch had a hard time keeping his thoughts straight. There wasn't much he could do at the moment, and it gnawed at him. Annoyance at being defenseless wasn't even the least of it. No, it was the tip of the iceberg.

Word spread fast. Reinhabrd said that some of the nobles wanted to hire Lelouch for the display at both chess and magic. Most of them were capable of magic on their own, but Yang magic was rare, and Yang mages weren't exactly unpopular.

He could just refuse, no headache about that, but by now he was established as an unknown power without affiliation in a capital that was currently undergoing something of a management change. Keeping his head down and observing while nudging people into doing what he wanted them to do was not going to be as easy now.

"It's kinda weird," Reinhard said, a soft smile on his lips.

"What is?" Lelouch asked.

"Every time I see you do magic, you seem to have improved leaps and bounds, it's kinda incredible."

"Is it? Considering the state it left me in, I'd think that I looked more like a flailing child."

"If that were the case, you'd probably be sleeping for a week," Reinhard said. "From the looks of it, you should be alright by dinner."

"Ugh," Lelouch groaned. "I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry too much, it's not every day that you survive an assassination attempt."

"I have the feeling that killing him will mean more will come," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "Though it seems I hit a nerve with this one, he was that gut-slicer woman's man, wasn't he?"

Reinhard nodded. "From the looks of it, there wasn't anything to imply otherwise, though-"

"You're worried that he might've been hired by someone in the capital," Lelouch deducted. Reinhard nodded, his lips drawn into a thin line. "The thought crossed my mind, but I don't think I've an enemy that would go and hire assassins to go after me right now."

"Talking like that you sound like you'll have some in the future, Lelouch." Reinhard's grin was almost teasing, despite the rather morbid topic.

"I think you know me better at this point," Lelouch hissed as he righted himself up, sitting in the bed. "I'm going to step on a lot of toes."

Reinhard shook his head slightly, shrugging. "Of course. Please rest, I'll attend to Lady Felt."

"You have to be careful with that wallet of yours," Lelouch warned ."She'll drain you for the last coin."

Lelouch grabbed his head when Reinhard left, his brain was trembling.

Using a gate was like using a muscle. Flexing it, poking it, releasing mana from it, it became easier with practice. Ferris warned, however, that using magic in this state might damage his gate to the point where he'd be without magic for weeks to come.

That wasn't something he could risk. So Lelouch waited, dealing with the painful feeling of being helpless and slowly regaining control of his body.

* * *

When Lelouch woke up, the sun was on its way down already. Soft red and orange rays entered through the open window in front of his bed and cast the room into a-

Lelouch blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Open window. It was closed before, he was sure. The breeze that entered through it made him shiver slightly, the cold touching and penetrating his skin down to the marrow of his bones.

Pressing into the corner of the room, Lelouch slowly stood up on the bed and looked up, then around. Not giving it much thought, Lelouch jumped up and down on the bed, and heard nothing - nobody was hiding under it either.

Slowly moving towards the window, he closed it and took in the sight of the room once more, and when all the tiredness was finally out of his body, he noticed what was off. It was small, almost not noticeable among the other books he had put onto the desk. A book with a white cover, open as if put there to be unnoticable until the last moment.

He couldn't feel anything from it, no magical properties, so that left a physical trap. Poison? Maybe… maybe he could ask Reinhard. Trust the man that had helped him along so another few books, he opened them and hid the white book underneath. This could wait until he could talk to Reinhard alone. Whoever did this could've been from inside the mansion as well - Lelouch had a light sleep, but considering his condition, it wasn't unlikely that anyone could've sneaked into his room.

Opening his door, he found a young woman in a maid's dress about to knock on it.

"Sir," she said. "Master Reinhard has asked me to call for you, there's an urgent matter to attend to."

"Of course," he said. "I'll be right there-"

"Should I help you dress, sir?" the maid said, looking down on his half unbuttoned shirt.

"I can do that on my own, thank you," Lelouch said, smiling at the woman. She shook her head, a bit of red coming to her cheeks.

"I insist, you are still hurt, Sir-"

Lelouch didn't bother trying to discuss and simply closed the door, moving to his wardrobe. He didn't need another situation like that Barielle daughter, especially not in his friend's home.

* * *

Dressed and only slightly in pain, Lelouch moved down the stairs towards the dining hall. When he opened the door, all the eyes moved towards him.

Including the eyes of one Crusch Karsten and the helmet of a huge man with only one arm.

"Yo," the man in the helmet said. "I'm Aldebaran, please call me Al."

The sudden introduction was all it took for the situation to go from surprising to tense. The atmosphere shifted when Crusch stood up, giving a slight and courteous bow towards Lelouch.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said. "My name is Crusch Karsten, head of the Karsten house and royal candidate."

Wilhelm and Ferris were seated next to her. The fact that she appeared here without Ferris being hurt was surprising - even Aldebaran's presence made more sense considering the involvement of a Barielle, though why Priscilla would send him instead of coming herself was unclear…

No, it wasn't. Lelouch dismissed the thought the moment it came up. Of course someone like Priscilla Barielle would not stoop so low to meet someone like him after saving a member of her family.

That wasn't who she was, after all. She was ruthless. Arrogant. But competent nonetheless.

Clovis or Schneizel, he still couldn't decide.

"The pleasure's all mine, Lady Karsten," Lelouch said, trying to keep his posture straight as he walked towards a seat, next to Reinhard, who was sitting with a dressed up Felt.

The girl didn't seem very happy to be there, her arms crossed and glaring at Wilhelm across the table.

"Pardon if I seem rude," he spoke up again when he was seated. "But due to my rather sudden use of magic, I'm not quite capable of moving that well."

"It's alright," she dismissed the concern with a wave of her hand. "I'm the one who appeared so suddenly and uninvited. Sir Reinhard invited us in nonetheless."

Even though Wilhelm, despite his low position in the family, could've done just the same, Lelouch assumed it would've been more of a political headache considering the mansion was housing Felt, a rival.

"And you, Al, was it?" Lelouch asked, turning his head to the large man. Despite the helmet, the large man was scratching the back of his head.

"Aye, bro," he said. Lelouch's eyebrows twitched at the way he spoke. So casual that the entire setting around them just made it awkward. "I was sent to talk to you."

"What about?" Lelouch asked. Crusch made a small noise, her sharp eyes focusing on Al.

"Let me start, please," Crusch said. Her voice wasn't very harsh, but the way she said it still made it sound like an order. Al just shrugged, not confronting the possible princess. "Say, Lelouch Lamperouge, where do you come from?"

Reinhard's hand immediately came down on Lelouch's shoulder, sending a jolt of pain through his body. The red-haired knight leaned in and whispered. "Her divine blessing tells her if someone lies."

Lelouch's eyebrows twitched. That'd make it a bit harder, but there was more ways to deal with something like that than just saying the truth.

"From a distant place," Lelouch said. Crusch's mouth twitched into a smile.

"And what brought you here?"

Lelouch shrugged. "It wasn't really my intention - though if this is your way of scouting possible threats to Lugnica's security, I must advise you to be more subtle."

"Let that be my worry," Crusch said. Felt was looking back and forth between them, ignoring the tense atmosphere and leaning back in the chair to the point where she was sliding down. Reinhard righted her up again. "Though I don't think that you're a threat to national security, I believe that your appearance here was not exactly random. If it wasn't your intention, is it safe to assume that someone brought you here?"

Lelouch didn't frown, but he didn't smile back at her either.

"Something like that," Lelouch said. She must've asked around. Found out some things before coming here. Non-committal answers would help him out for a bit - but he wanted answers as well. Even if he could end the conversation at any point, doing that wouldn't help him get those. "Let me ask you a question in return."

"Go ahead."

"Is this line of questioning going anywhere?" he asked. "I would prefer if we could cut to the crux of it, and I don't believe my origins are going to be that interesting to you."

"Hmph, very well," she leaned forward, her hands over each other on the table. "Have you ever heard of the four powers that protect Lugnica?"

"I know of the dragon and the sword saint," Lelouch said, nodding towards Reinhard.

"The royal family is the third, their blood and covenant with the dragon have made this nation strong," she explained. Lelouch nodded, of course blood was important here, the Sword Saint's power was inherited through it, so the covenant could be as well.

"And the fourth?"

"The Sage, Flügel," she said. "Though he's long since gone from this world."

"So there's only three?"

She nodded. "Though someone had reported something strange. Flügel has planted a tree, once, it became the largest tree in the kingdom, and just a while ago, that tree began to bloom."

"Bloom?" Lelouch asked.

"White flowers," she explained.

"And that concerns me, how?"

"After asking around, I know just when you arrived in the capital," she said. "And the tree's bloom aligns. You're an unknown, no noble family I know in any kingdom shares your features, and I know all of them."

Reinhard was actually staring at him now, while Lelouch was out of his depth. Was that the conclusion she got? He had something to do with the Sage? Even if that were true, Lelouch didn't understand the exact train of thought here.

"And the first thing you do when you arrive is approach the Sword Saint of this generation."

Lelouch nodded. It made a bit more sense now.

"You also immediately found a royal candidate nobody knew about." Crusch nodded towards Felt, who stared back as if seeking confrontation. Lelouch's perfect plan led to something like this. Of course it did, working with wrong or incomplete information leads to things like this. In Britannia, he knew the families, the political climate, the mythology. Here? Here he was a fish out of water, and no matter how much he learned, he'd still be a step behind someone like Crusch Karsten, who was born and raised here and took over her family at a young age.

Of course, if she could tell he was lying, he could simply say he doesn't know anything about relations to the Sage.

But this was the point where he could use her theory for his own advantage.

"Say your theory was true," Lelouch said. "And I'm somehow related to the Sage, what would you do?"

"I'm not trying to create false hope in the kingdom, and even if we have our differences, I know Priscilla won't either," Crusch said, her gaze moving to Aldebaran, who was silent. "I did wish to inform the other royal candidates and the Sword Saint of this."

"Why, though?" Lelouch asked.

"Because I want you out of this country," she said bluntly. Even Felt made a noise at that rather hostile statement. "The covenant with the dragon will come to an end under my rule. We've grown weak, lenient and trusting."

"And you believe that ending the covenant with the dragon will make you strong?" Lelouch asked. "So if the dragon is gone, you can't have someone like me, whom you assume to be the fourth pillar of this kingdom, stay?"

"Exactly."

"Like hell!" Felt said, standing up. Her voice was loud, but not yet shouting. "You can't just throw people out of the country because they don't fit you!"

"I'm not throwing him out," Crusch said, crossing her arms. She was calm, but it was clear that she wasn't considering Felt someone to brush off easily. She was, after all, a rival for the throne. "I'm asking him to leave the country and make himself home somewhere else. I would pay for the expenses."

"You'd do all this over an assumption?" Reinhard asked. "The theory that he might be someone that died four-hundred years ago?"

"People are superstitious, believing and trusting," Crusch explained. "I don't need someone like him in this kingdom if there's only the off chance of someone spreading these rumors. Furthermore, should the public actually believe in this theory, his word would have just as much sway as yours, Sword Saint Reinhard. Considering he lives here, it would assure Lady Felt's victory."

"I understand," Lelouch said, nodding. Felt turned to him.

"Don't listen to her!" Felt was shouting now. "You're not that bad even if you seem like a stinking noble-"

Lelouch raised his hand, stopping her rant before it began in earnest.

"Of course, I understand," Lelouch said, smiling at Crusch. "I don't support Lady Felt, however, I've decided to learn about all the candidates. If me living here means problems as such, then I shall find another place."

"Thank you for understanding," Crusch said. Felt was grinding her teeth together.

"But," Lelouch said quickly, "that would limit my options, wouldn't it? I couldn't go to Kararagi, where Anstasia Hoshin lives, and the people in the north want me dead considering the assassin sent after me."

Ferris and Wilhelm were not looking very happy about how the conversation had went up to this point, but stayed silent. Lelouch could see a few uncomfortable glances between them.

"So, unless you're planning to drag me to the border and throw me over it, or have someone kill me when I turn my back," Lelouch said, his voice tight, "I will remain in the capital. I might or might not be an aspiring sage, I don't doubt that there might be more people who would claim the same."

"I see," Crusch said. Before she could continue, Lelouch spoke up again.

"I will move out of the mansion though, to make it fair," Lelouch said. "In case someone manages to convince people that I am the person you claim I am, nobody can claim I'm supporting Felt alone. I've helped Lady Emilia too, after all. And I've had the pleasure of saving a relative of Lady Priscilla Barielle."

Crusch smiled, her fingers forming a bridge under her chin.

"Nobody gets what they want, then," Crusch said.

"On the contrary," Lelouch said. "A place of my own doesn't sound too bad, I managed to earn myself a bit of coin lately."

"You still don't seem very happy about actually leaving," Felt muttered, looking away from him. Lelouch frowned.

Staying here was, barring the freak accident with the witch's scent, safe. Leaving a safe place was problematic. Lelouch acknowledged her words with a curt nod and combing through his hair with a hand.

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't like it here. I'd consider Reinhard a friend, after all," Lelouch said. Felt nodded.

"Friends, uhuh."

She didn't sound very convinced. Reinhard just smiled nervously at Felt's continuous teasing.

"So, Lady Karsten," Lelouch said. "I suppose that should be enough to satisfy you and Lady Barielle?"

"I'm not sure about her," Crusch said. "If anything, it might actually increase her interest, and she believes that the world around her will always do her favor, unless you support her openly, she won't spread rumors."

"Sounds like it," Al finally spoke up. "You and the miss have quite the relationship going, huh?"

"She's my cousin," Crusch acknowledged. "Ever so distant, but still family."

"Ah yeah, I know how that is," Al said. "Alright, I guess it's my turn now?"

Crusch motioned with her hand to go ahead. Al sighed.

"Well," he said. "Your name is Lelouch Lamperouge, right?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes."

"It's kinda funny, actually, I knew someone once, ages ago," he said. "She had the same name."

Lelouch's eyebrows twitched. The man was nonchalant and impolite, but his words were carefully chosen, he was speaking slowly, making sure that Lelouch understood everything.

Just like Crusch, Aldebaran didn't seem to care who was listening to the conversation. Reinhard actually perked up at mention of Lelouch's family.

"And, heh." Al actually sounded embarrassed. "It'd not really be anything if the name was known, but the Lamperouge family doesn't exist here."

"Could you get to the point, please?" Crusch asked. Lelouch's gaze moved towards her - she had her eyes closed, simply listening. Al wasn't having any of it.

"And your hair color's the same too-"

"What do you want me to say?" Lelouch asked. Al stopped. "You say you knew my mother? That's impossible."

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Al said. "And so am I."

There it was. Information, useful information, and dangerous in this conversation. Priscilla sent him here to put him into place, knowing something about him that nobody else knew because Al was… Al was…

"Ah," Lelouch said. His face was twisted in an expression between frown and smile. "I see."

"For what's it worth, I'm not really privy to all these plots and all that, used to be a soldier," Al said. "Back before your mother married that man. I heard she had a son before arriving here."

Here was this world. The man had been here for as long as Lelouch had been alive, maybe a shorter time than that. About nineteen years.

Suddenly the uniqueness of his situation vanished and was replaced with uncertainty of the unknown. If the witch was related to his appearance here, then was she also related to Aldebaran?

Did Aldebaran have a similar power? Are people summoned to this world somehow more special? This explained why his first meeting with Priscilla a few loops back was interrupted by Al's whisper. He knew. She knew now.

He'd hoped that she was more Clovis than Schneizel. That hope was gone now.

"You're from the same place as Sir Lelouch, Sir Aldebaran?" Ferris asked. The curious edge of his voice made Lelouch's annoyance flare up. Was this the price he had to pay for going into the public eye by helping Felt out?

"Somethin' like that." Al shrugged. "I was just some guy from a small family, he was probably raised in a man-"

"That's enough," Lelouch said. "What does she want?"

Al cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure."

"Then why did she send you here?" Lelouch asked.

"To provoke you," Al said, his voice as calm as ever. Lelouch narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back, putting one leg over the other. "You're like her."

"Like who? Lady Barielle?"

"Like your mother, Lady Marianne."

"No," Lelouch said, shaking his head. Remembering the confrontation with his parents, Lelouch sighed, lowering his gaze slightly. "I'm nothing like her."

His mother wasn't ready to die for her dream. His mother wasn't ready to give everything for Nunnally.

"I'm pretty sure you're similar enough," Al said.

"I don't talk about my family," Lelouch said a bit forcefully. "Because there's no family to talk about, Sir Aldebaran. If Lady Barielle wishes to threaten me with your information, then please do so in a more private setting."

"Sure thing, pal."

Lelouch didn't get angry quickly, but when he got angry, lashing out was something he was good at. He wouldn't flail and shout and swear revenge. Instead, Lelouch liked to go the slow way. Rip someone apart with his mind rather than his body.

The strain on his body was forgotten as he quickly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor and making a squeaky noise before he all but limped out of the room. He ignored Crusch's stare.

"It seems family is a sore subject for him," he heard Reinhard speak before the door closed. "Please don't bring it up again."

Instead of asking more questions, Reinhard stopped the conversation that could've taken place.

* * *

It took a while before someone knocked on his door. Lelouch took that time to calm down slightly. Bad information, spotty knowledge and now he had both Crusch Karsten and Priscilla Barielle as possible enemies.

And he didn't know how far he would go back if he died, so trying to avoid the conversation going that way would be futile. He just left it there, proving that he had something to hide, though that was something everyone in there knew already.

Not being very forthcoming about your origins can do that.

Opening the door slightly, Lelouch found Reinhard standing there, a small grin on the knight's face.

"I should apologize for putting you into a spot like that," Reinhard said. Lelouch sighed.

"It's not your fault," Lelouch said, stepping away from the door. "Please, come in, I have a favor to ask."

"If I can help," Reinhard agreed immediately, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. Lelouch moved towards the bunch of books and lifted them up one by one, revealing the still open white book underneath, open on an empty page.

"Someone broke into the room while I was sleeping," Lelouch said. Reinhard blinked.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because they left this and nothing else," Lelouch pointed at the book. "It doesn't feel magical, it doesn't look like much. I don't know if there's some kind of poison on it, or it will explode-"

Reinhard moved to it and put his hand on it before smelling his hand and touching his palm with his tongue.

"No poison," he said. Lelouch furrowed his eyebrows at the knight and stepped forward.

"You can tell just like that?"

"Yeah, it's one of my blessings," Reinhard said. "Even if there was poison, I'd be okay, so don't worry."

"If… you say so," Lelouch nodded, stepping forward to take the book. The pages were thick, and when he flicked through, the text began to appear. "I can't read this."

When he showed it to Reinhard, the man looked before shaking his head.

"Well, yeah, it's empty."

"Empty?" Lelouch asked. The letters became clearer by the second, but they weren't any local ones. He couldn't read the writing unless he managed to decode the language, - but… "I can see words appearing on it."

"Well it doesn't seem dangerous, though you might want to have an actual mage check it out," Reinhard said. "Just because you can't feel anything from it doesn't mean it isn't, especially considering I can't read it while you see words."

"Good point," Lelouch said. "Though I don't understand why the delivery had to be done this way."

"To show you they can," Reinhard explained. "I know that kind. Sneaking everywhere, leaving clues, making it obvious they can do it whenever they want."

"Has it ever happened to you?"

"Oh? No no!" Reinhard waved his hands in front of him. "It's like that in my favorite novels. I'm really into espionage stuff, there's one about a man who hides as the child of-"

"That sounds interesting," Lelouch said, his voice betraying his actual thoughts. "I might ask you to lend those to me once in a while."

"Really?" Reinhard's eyes lit up. Lelouch felt like he had made a great mistake, but just shrugged.

"Yes," Lelouch said. "It's already late, I'll try to decode the book before going to bed again. Is there anything else for now?"

"Yes," Reinhard said, pulling out a letter from his pocket. "Roswaal L. Mathers is inviting you to his mansion to speak about a reward for saving his ward."

"It'd be hard to say no to an offer like that," Lelouch said. "But I imagine it might provoke Crusch Karsten even more."

"Don't worry too much about her," Reinhard said. "She's giving the impression of an enemy to you so you won't stick around in case she becomes queen."

"I understand that," Lelouch said. Of course, being outed as possible sage to the people and friend to Reinhard would be detrimental to her, so she wanted to avoid just that and he wouldn't be inclined to stay in a country with an antagonistic queen.

Unfortunately for her, that just meant that she made it harder for him to bend the knee. Lelouch wasn't someone who actively sought out confrontation.

"But she'll learn that having me as enemy isn't going to help her get rid of me," Lelouch said.

"Oh, it's worse," Reinhard said. Lelouch gave him a quizzical look. "She might try to become your friend instead."

"Give me land and throw me somewhere?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard nodded. "Maybe even set me up as some ambassador elsewhere. She made a similar offer to Felt, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Reinhard nodded again. "She knew you'd be the kind of person that wouldn't fall for offers of money like Lady Felt would when you refused her like that, so now she might want to keep you closer than she had initially planned."

"To keep an eye on me," Lelouch said.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you've done something like this before."

"You don't know better, then," Lelouch said. The red-haired knight laughed. "Good night, Reinhard."

"Good night."

* * *

#

###

"He came!"

The barely illuminated chamber was filled with sounds of annoying screeching.

"Who?"

Nails cut into a wooden table.

A man with a large grin and wide eyes that looked ready to fall out was leaning over the table, his right hand scratching into the wood and his left hand flipping through the pages on a black book.

"The one mentioned in the gospel! The one who is loved and hated! It's on him, the smell, the smell of love, but he refuses it, he keeps it at bay, he rejected her love! He rejected her! He rejected her! He rejected her! He rejected her! He rejected her!"

"Cease this insistent yapping at once. Who did?"

"He did! It is written here - he rejected her love, how slothful, truly, the most slothful of aaaaaaall."

"The gospel speaks of someone who is torn."

The people at the table turned to the woman that spoke, and even the scratching of the wood stopped.

"Torn?"

"Someone who can keep her at bay but pays a price for it, and if he didn't, she would eventually consume him. I sent him a gift, it might help him."

"A gospel?"

"Something like it. A book I grabbed once from the grave of an annoying man. It'll help us keep track track of him."

"Her love! He rejected her loveeeeee!"

###

 **ARC 2 Fun(d) Raising: END**

 **Next: Arc 3: Names**

* * *

 **AN: If you liked it, please leave a review.**


	11. The Golden

**Arc 3: Names**

 **Chapter 11: The Golden**

* * *

There was power in a name. A name betrayed bloodline and history to anyone who was studious enough. Someone who knew the history of these lands could hear the name of a noble and decide when their ancestors received their titles and how. In Lelouch's case, this meant nothing to him.

He was learning, though at this point there was no advantage to be won from knowing the history. The present was much more important, the trading routes, the resources - magical resources he never heard about.

The one thing he was interested in knowing the history of was barely present. The Sage, Flügel - though his name hasn't meant much in many years, he did manage to get some information from Reinhard. Besides the Tree, Flügel's name cropped up only one time in recent memory.

The Dragon Prophecy. A slab of stone on which it was inscribed on how to find four of the five candidates. Afterwards, the slab was filled with white text that nobody could read, except for Flügel's name.

Lelouch had the suspicion that Reinhard had the same idea as Crusch, but politely kept it to himself. The name of the Sage wasn't that well known among the common folk, most stories speak about someone called Shaula. Lelouch sighed.

It'd be a big headache.

* * *

"You know that you don't have to leave, right?" Reinhard asked. The red-haired young man was standing ever so vigilant at the side of his princess, who looked like she swallowed something sour.

"I know," Lelouch said, smiling. "And I think I know you well enough that you're not hoping my presence would give Felt an advantage."

At least now he did. After long talks and spending time with both of them. Reinhard wasn't the kind of person who'd be quite so underhanded. He went with the more direct approach - in Felt's case, money.

"You never know," Reinhard teased. The knight's expression slid into a frown. "You're going north first, right?"

"I'll find a place to stay when I'm back," Lelouch said. "Maybe Lady Crusch would be kind enough to arrange one. For now, I'll have to accept Lord Mathers' invitation. I'd rather not burn any bridges I haven't built yet."

"You just want to see that stupid tree, don't you?" Felt asked. Lelouch blinked. "Reinhard told me, the route north leads to the tree, then to that child-molesting fruit-"

Reinhard put a hand over her mouth. She glared at him, but didn't continue. When he was sure she wouldn't, Reinhard let go.

Lelouch had apparently missed a meeting between Felt and the Margrave in the castle in the times he wasn't with them. Considering Felt's inability to filter whatever she's thinking before she loudly shouts it, he wondered if Margrave Mathers had a rather… peculiar appearance or personality.

Despite Felt's appearance, she was surprisingly shrewd.

Though if she had a similar Blessing as Crusch, that was to be expected.

"I admit, the tree interests me," Lelouch answered. "But I won't spend too much time there. After concluding business with the Margrave, I'll likely travel back and see if I can't solve my differences with Lady Barielle."

She had leverage over him, and it was only useful as long as he let it be.

He didn't know how people would react to 'some visitor from another world'. Or 'the possible reincarnation of the Sage'. Priscilla Barielle wanted something from him, maybe just see his reaction, but he'd have to find out what it was before he could put his mind at ease. It was unlikely that anyone could accept a claim as outrageous as 'the son of an emperor' so easily…

But Crusch had been blunt in her assessment of the general population. Trusting. Superstitious.

"Here," Felt said, stepping forward and pushing something into his hands. The short girl glared up at him before walking into the mansion and Lelouch looked down at the sword she pulled from somewhere. Reinhard laughed.

"She asked me to have one done for you, so you could protect yourself."

Lelouch smiled thinly. "As kind as that is, I admit I'm no good with a sword."

"It's often more a symbolic thing," Reinhard explained. "If you're armed, most people would think twice. With your white outfit, they might even think thrice."

"Confusing me for a royal guard?"

"Maybe. Or maybe people will have heard of the Golden," Reinhard said. Lelouch frowned.

"Hm?" He made a noise, narrowing his eyes at Reinhard. "What was that?"

"Oh sorry, did I forget to mention that?" Reinhard asked, clapping his hands together. His smile was so wide, Lelouch could've sworn his face would split apart. "Usually people receive titles when they do something incredible. Even though none of them was in real danger, you saved a lot of nobles."

"I… see," Lelouch said. Name recognition could be both good and bad. Right now he could probably assume the former was more likely. "The Golden?"

"The nobles here are kinda happy about giving titles based on colors," Reinhard explained. "If the title isn't inherited, it can be quite simple. Priscilla Barielle is the Bloodstained Bride. Eight husbands, eight-times a widow."

Lelouch twitched.

"And they chose… the Golden?"

It was kind of ironic, really. Maybe a bit better publicity than Demon Emperor, but still not quite what he'd call desireable.

"Just like Felix is the Blue with his water magic, you're the Golden with Yang magic."

"There's hundreds of others Yang mages, though."

"None who saved a dozen nobles."

Lelouch sighed. The Golden it is.

* * *

By the time they reached the tree and the man who steered the carriage stopped, the sun was setting.

A tree that penetrated the clouds on a cloudy day. Lelouch had seen machines in the form of humans destroy cities, and yet the appearance of this tree was breathtaking, simply by the sheer impossibility.

How was it holding itself up? How much water did it need to sustain itself? Magic, he imagined. Flügel's magic.

"Quite the sight, innit?" the old coachman said. Lelouch nodded. White flowers were around the tree, in an almost perfect circle from where they fell, as if the wind had not touched them. "I remember years ago when the Sword Saint came here every day. Had I refused, she'd have walked the way."

"She? Ah," Lelouch said, nodding. "Reinhard's grandmother?"

"Aye, lil' rascal she was. Always loved to look at the flowers, would've loved to see these white beauties here I'm sure."

Lelouch stepped forward, towards the tree and into the ring of white. The closer he got, the more intimidating its size became, the more impressive. For one moment, Lelouch felt disgusted and attracted.

The same feeling he had when he met Elsa for the first time. The sick pull that forced him to walk forward increased until it suddenly stopped. His body jerked forward, and he turned back, looking towards the coachman.

He wasn't there anymore.

Neither was the coach. Neither was the sky or the ground.

All Lelouch could see was the ocean of white flowers around him, and the tree in front of him. And sitting in front of the tree was a pearl white box.

"Is anyone there?" Lelouch asked, keeping his distance from the box. Nobody answered. The world was silent. Not even a wind blew around him. "... Satella, perhaps?"

Nothing.

Lelouch sighed, holding his arm out towards the box.

"Sasam," he intoned. A fist sized needle appeared, shooting forward towards the box.

The world broke and the needle hit nothing but the ground. Lelouch stumbled slightly, the sudden appearance of the sun and sound disorienting him slightly.

"You alright there?" the coachman asked. Lelouch nodded.

The box. It was there. He knew it, for some reason.

Walking forward, step by step, Lelouch created a dagger in his hands, the Yang mana singing in the air. Sitting down where the needle had penetrated the ground, Lelouch began to dig.

"Oi, cutting into the tree is kind of forbidden," the coachman said. Lelouch didn't stop. A few seconds of digging later, almost above the ground, it revealed itself.

A small white box. A chest, really, the light grey ornate markings barely standing out in the light.

There was nothing to be lost in going back right now, he might even be able to have a better discussion without Aldebaran revealing everything. Throwing caution in the wind, Lelouch opened the box.

And found himself staring at an emblem. A white crystal in a golden wing.

"This might make Lady Crusch quite angry," Lelouch muttered, taking the emblem out of the box. It glowed in a brilliant white light when he touched it. Just like the royal selection ones. Different in form and color, but…

A symbol nonetheless.

"Buried a treasure of yours here, eh?" the coachman asked. "Not a bad hiding place, if I say so myself."

"Yes," Lelouch said. "We can go now."

Lelouch threw the box back into the earth and kicked the dirt over it.

The emblem in his pocket stopped glowing as it stopped touching his skin.

* * *

Mathers' mansion was on the top of a hill. The only entrance was going into the village at the base of the hill first and then moving up. A strategic position, but dangerous - leaving no room to escape should the enemies breach through the defenses, unless one had the ability to fly.

The people looked happy.

That was the first thing Lelouch realized when they entered the village from the west. The children were playing outside, the adults were working, smiles on their faces.

A margrave with people this happy shouldn't be too bad of a man, he hoped, especially considering the very clear offer to repay the debt that they had incurred to Lelouch a while ago.

"Ah! Look!" one of the kids shouted. "Another carriage!"

Lelouch's eyebrows twitched.

Another?

Did one come from the mansion? If so, they didn't take the same road as them. Lelouch and the coachman had rested a night a bit after the tree before continuing the way, arriving early in the morning already. It was unlikely they passed them during the night.

"Halt," someone said. The coach stopped. Looking out of the window, he saw a girl with blue hair, dressed in a maid uniform. "Who are you?"

Lelouch opened the door, stepping out. The white robes sent some of the people that gathered around into confusion.

"You're not a royal knight," she said. Lelouch nodded, grabbing the invitation out of his robes and stepping forward. She didn't seem threatened.

"I was invited by Magrave Mathers," Lelouch said. "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Ah, yes, you," she said. Lelouch had the feeling the girl didn't have a very high opinion of him. She bowed nonetheless. "Welcome to Lord Mathers' domain. Please, follow me."

"Thank you," Lelouch said, then turned to the coachman. "I don't know how long we'll be staying, is that alright with you?"

"Sir Reinhard said I should take care of ye, so I'll do that."

"Thank you," Lelouch repeated. "Let's go, then."

The coach trailed after the blue haired maid, slowly ascending up the hill.

* * *

They arrived minutes later. The mansion was large. Quite a bit larger than Reinhard's, though that made sense considering the amount of space available in the capital without stepping on the toes of other nobles.

Ushered into the mansion and towards a well furnished room, Lelouch came face to face with Roswaal L. Mathers.

The margrave looked like a jester. His long face and purple colored clothes made it hard for Lelouch to get another image of him. He even had a ridiculously small hat on the top of his head.

"Welcome to my mansion, Golden," the margrave greeted. Lelouch twitched, but took Mathers' hand when he offered it.

"Thank you for your invitation, margrave," Lelouch said. "But please, just call me Lelouch, I'm not sure how much I like my new title."

"The upjumped nobles in the capital just love their nicknames and titles, they don't even memorize actual names anymore, just family names."

Lelouch chuckled. "I can see how that can be a problem. I assume you've received a letter by Lady Karsten?"

"I haven't." Roswaal shook his head. "We do have a visitor from the capital, however."

So she sent someone ahead. Or perhaps she didn't want Roswaal to learn about her suspicions while Lelouch was near, afraid that the margrave might be able to convince him where she hadn't been able to.

"Oh?" Lelouch asked.

"Russell Fellow," Roswaal said. "The royal treasurer."

"I see," Lelouch said, nodding. "I hope I'm not getting into the way of any possible negotiations-"

"On the contrary, when he heard that you were visiting, he prolonged his stay. It seems that he's interested in the young commoner who made himself a name in the capital."

"I don't see what I have to offer to a man like that, I'm afraid," Lelouch said. "There's not much to my name."

Russell Fellow. He heard the name before, read it, even. A man who was responsible for pushing Lugnica's economy to second place among the four kingdoms, only below Kararagi.

Anastasia Hoshin on the throne might mean a fusion of Kararagi and Lugnica into one kingdom depending on her sway in the western kingdom.

"He's been handling a lot of trade for Lady Karsten," Roswaal said. Lelouch grimaced. The margrave knew more than he let on. "And her interest in you might have spiked his interest as well."

"I see," Lelouch repeated his earlier words. "Of course, I'll not refuse an offer to speak with a man of such position. But that's not quite why I'm here, Margrave."

"Of course, forgive my ramblings," the jester smiled widely. "It might be better to discuss the issue on the table at lunch. Lady Emilia will join us."

"Very well."

The dining room wasn't much larger than in Reinhard's mansion, but it was more pompous. The paintings and flowers arranged everywhere made it look smaller than it was, the sheer amount of furniture wasn't helping.

Sitting to the margrave's left side, the blue haired maid was joined by a red haired girl that looked just like her - twins, he assumed. When the maids left the room to get the food, she entered.

With silver hair that bobbed up and down with every step and the flawless appearance befitting of an elf, Emilia entered the room, giving a curt bow towards Lelouch when she saw him.

Formal. Serious. That wasn't how he had met her.

"Now, now," Roswaal said. "There's no need to be so rigid, dear. Lelouch told me to skip the formalities already."

It wouldn't be easy getting a read on her if she was that tense.

"Yes," Lelouch said. "Please, relax. This is your home, after all, and I'm merely a guest."

Emilia's shoulders slumped as if a great weight was gone from them, though there was something akin to irritation in her eyes. She must've tried mentally preparing herself for this. Did he give her that impression? Someone to be polite to or else?

Puck appeared from under her hair, floating in front of Lelouch's face as Emilia sat down.

"Hmmm, hummmmm," Puck made noises, crossing his arms, holding one hand under his chin, the motions flowing into each other. "You don't look very golden!"

"Puck!" Emilia said, leaning forward in her chair. "Don't do that to our guest-"

"Don't worry about it," Lelouch said. Just… relax. "I've not chosen the name by myself, they named me after my magic."

"It's… yang magic, right?" Emilia asked. Roswaal nodded. Lelouch lifted his hand, releasing the slightest tinge of golden mana- then the door got kicked in quickly, and the blue haired girl stood there, her expression wide in fear and in her hands a flail.

"Rem, what is the meaning of this-"

"It's barely there," Rem said feverently. "But it's lingering."

"Lingering?" Emilia asked. Lelouch narrowed his eyes. There was no trace of the Witch's mana. He didn't tell anyone. So how could she tell? A Divine Blessing? She didn't feel human. Maybe… some racial trait?

"The-"

"Rem," Roswaal said. "That's quite enough. If you're tired, please go rest in your room. Ram can take care of your duties for today."

He knew.

Roswaal knew as well. Lelouch was once again out of his depth. They somehow could smell the witch on him when he couldn't even feel her himself. His mana must be somehow tainted, naturally in a way.

If normal mages couldn't notice, like the nobles, but this girl could…

Rem left when Roswaal's stare turned serious. Emilia looked back and forth between Lelouch and the door. He might need to reset, whenever he ends up might be better after jumping head first into this situation.

"Do you know, Lord Mathers?" Lelouch asked. The man smiled thinly.

"Yes, it's quite… uncomfortable, I admit. But you're a guest, and I know you're not one of them."

Them meaning the cultists, Lelouch assumed. Something was wrong again. And a strong feeling of dread began to spread through his chest. If the witch was constantly with him, and her scent was lingering, noticeable by a few, then did that mean rejecting her presence would once again mean dying under pain and suffering?

He prefered to die when he wanted to, and as painlessly as possible, not by the hand of a mad witch.

Emilia still looked confused before Puck settled on her head. "Just enjoy the food for now. You guys look like you swallowed a rotten fruit."

Lelouch forced himself to relax, having grown tense in the face of this unexpected situation. Just as Ram entered with the food, a glare fixed on Lelouch, a blonde man in a suit entered. Russel Fellow.

Emilia looked even more uncomfortable than before. Rem's sudden entrance made her tense up, and even though Puck looked like he was aware of what was happening, he wasn't informing Emilia.

"Ah, Lelouch Lamperouge!" the able looking man said. "What an honor to meet you, you're the talk in the capital lately, the nobles can't stop bringing you up."

"I admit, the attention doesn't make me very comfortable," Lelouch said. Russell laughed.

"Whimsical people will find something else to talk about in a while, just stay put and don't save any more nobles, then you're golden."

Lelouch sighed through his nose. "Of course."

Emilia giggled at the pun.

The man noticed the tension in the room and immediately worked against it. At least there was something good about this situation now.

The finely prepared food sat in front of him, but Lelouch didn't feel very hungry at this point. Smiling, he took a bite, nodding in appreciation.

"Due to the rather… unfortunate situation in the capital in which you've helped Lady Emilia out," Roswaal said. "The Emilia camp of the royal selection owes you a debt, Lelouch Lamperouge."

"I did what I had to prevent unnecessary bloodshed, margrave," Lelouch said. "Helping Lady Emilia was part of it."

"Yet you're in this kingdom without any background on where you came from," he said. "No reason to help the royalty of this kingdom or its people."

"If you're implying that I did so knowing she would owe me a debt, I'm more than willing to call if off to prove my goodwill, margrave Mathers."

"No!" Emilia said, leaning forward again. This time she hit the table with her hands. "We're not even yet, we owe you more than we could repay-"

"Lady Emilia," Lelouch said, smiling at her. Of course she wouldn't just let him walk away without repaying the debt. "I'm glad you have your spirit back."

"I, uh," she said, her face slightly red. Nodding towards him, she put her hands off the table. "Thank you, Sir Lelouch. I apologize for my earlier display."

"Rotten fruits, the lot of you," Puck said. "Making my dear daughter so tense."

"Forgive me, oh great spirit," Lelouch said, smiling at the floating cat. "I'm afraid that reasons are my own, however, Lord Mathers."

"I understand, and if Lady Emilia wishes to repay the debt, as her sponsor, I cannot decline."

"You are talking about someone who might one day be your future queen," Russell said. "Perhaps you shouldn't make her decision about you."

Mathers' smile was feral. Russell gave him a kind and practiced smile in return.

"I wouldn't wish to impose," Lelouch said. "I've followed this invitation to learn more about another of the candidates. After meeting Lady Karsten and Lady Felt, I've also had some contact with Lady Barielle's family."

"Quite the list of names for someone who appeared out of nowhere," Russell said. Lelouch shrugged.

"What can I say, it must be my magnetic personality."

Russell's eyes gave off a small glint. He knew from Crusch. If Mathers knew about the witch's scent, knowing about the suspicions about the Sage doesn't sound too far fetched either.

"I'm not sure what to offer to you, good sir," Emilia said. Lord Mathers leaned back in his chair, while Russell leaned forward. "There's not much that has the worth of a life."

"It wasn't I that saved your life," Lelouch said. "I only made it possible for Reinhard to do so. Please consider that before you make an uneven offer."

"Or perhaps," Russell said. "The situation can be cleared easily."

"Oh?" Lelouch asked. "How so?"

"A life is worth as much as a life," Russell said. "So she could offer her hand in marriage-"

"Absolutely not!" Puck shouted at the same time as Lelouch's quieter "No."

Puck tried to move forward and made punching motions towards Russell as Emilia held him back. Lelouch spoke up before the spirit could do so again.

"I'd have to decline such an offer," Lelouch said. Puck glared at him in return.

"You saying my daughter isn't good enough for you-"

Lelouch coughed. "That's not it. I'm afraid I'm not interested in marriage."

Lelouch wasn't the emotional person that'd condemn political marriages and say that he would be taking away the choice for a loving life if he had said yes, but he didn't know anyone well enough, he didn't know how they tick.

And if he was forced to, he would probably marry anyone but Emilia.

The Witch's scent aside, the girl's appearance was the same one as the one in his vision, though the exact features were hidden in darkness. There was something dangerous about her, something he didn't like.

"It might be better if we just consider this topic closed," Roswaal said. Lelouch nodded, as did Emilia, who was red in the face. Puck scoffed, sitting down on the table.

"What about favors?" the silver-haired girl asked. "Within reason, I'd support you for three favors should you ask them of us."

Lelouch blinked. That was more than generous, and Roswaal didn't look unhappy about it.

"That sounds reasonable," Lelouch said. "I'd like to make it clear that I've decided to stay neutral in the royal selection, after a discussion with Lady Crusch Karsten. To avoid any shows of favoritism, please put these thoughts aside until after the royal selection. I'd not wish for rumors to spread."

"I understand," Emilia said. Puck nodded, staring at Lelouch suspiciously.

"Refusing my Lia, I'll show you. Your bed sheets will now be cold, forever! I curse you!"

Lelouch blinked at the cat-shaped spirit.

"I'm… sorry?" Lelouch tried.

"Bah, you're no fun," Puck said, floating up. "Alright, three favors from Lia means three favors from me too. So if you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you," Lelouch said, his thoughts jumping. "Actually, I do believe that I have something you could help me with."

"Of course, the great spirit Puck will do anything to help the puny mortals, what do you need?"

"Puck," Emilia said, resigned.

"I've come into possession of a peculiar book," Lelouch explained. The subtle approach hadn't worked out lately, so the direct approach was all that remained. If that didn't work out either, he might have to reset. "I can't read it, neither could Reinhard. Perhaps a spirit as old as yourself knows how to."

Puck's eyes narrowed, and it was as if the air froze.

"A book you can't read, hm?"

"Yes," Lelouch said, trying to keep the shiver out of his voice. Russell looked uncomfortable, as did Roswaal. "It's a white book, I think it might be related to Lugnica's past."

"White?" he asked. The room heated up again, rather quickly this time. The sudden change in temperature led to sweat on Lelouch's brow.

"White, yes," Lelouch said. Roswaal sighed in relief.

"Let's take a look at it later, then," Puck said. Lelouch nodded, returning to his now cold meal. Russell left the mansion an hour later. Probably to report something to Crusch.

* * *

Staring out of a window from the hall, Lelouch observed as Emilia walked together with Puck, speaking with the spirit.

The situation wasn't ideal. But with the amount of missing information, the only way to actually get information was to make leaps of faith and regret them later. Lelouch held onto the hope that things could go his way for once, with Crusch's obvious fear of his impact on the royal selection.

Moving towards his guest room, Lelouch stepped in. The books he had in the carriage had been brought up, sans the white book he kept on his person.

He'd have to continue his practice and studies.

Magic was as fascinating as it was hard to master.

One incantation can be used to create different spells. Changing of syllables can change the form of the spell, while the prefix can boost the power at the cost of spending more mana on it. The 'alphabet of magic' as it was called was a constant. If you understood a spell well enough, you could create the spell without the incantation, though using it improves focus nonetheless.

For Yang magic, creation of matter and improving his body was the major aspect. Someone well versed in Yang magic might be capable of constantly holding a strengthening spell in their body, giving them inhuman strength and speed if they so wished. It was a goal to work towards.

"Sasam, Sabal." Lelouch created a needle and a dagger. The sword by the side of his guest room, the one that Felt gave him, looked sturdier, stronger, sharper.

The dagger created by Yang magic was only as strong as the mana that created it. Taking the needle that had just the same amount of mana and slamming it onto the dagger saw both of them shatter.

The sound of footsteps outside his room made him stop.

Moving towards the door and opening it, Lelouch looked out. Nobody was there. They hid, probably in one of the neighboring rooms.

Closing the door again, Lelouch began to hear the footsteps minutes after casting another spell.

Someone who was uncomfortable with him using magic.

It could only be that maid, Rem.

Deciding to ignore the annoyance, Lelouch kept casting the spells until he felt himself grow exhausted. Step by step, he came closer to real power.

* * *

Puck floated in front of Lelouch, leading him towards a door.

"Isn't that the bathroom door?" Lelouch asked.

"Not right now," Puck said, opening it. Inside was a library, and a child sat there, reading a book. She looked up, her rather large forehead reflecting the light in the library, and smiled.

"Bubby! You came to visit!" she said, jumping towards him. She grabbed the cat out of the air and hugged him, sitting down in her large chair.

"I'm not here to visit," he said. "I brought a friend who needs your help."

"Hmph," she said. "Why should I help him? He's reeks."

Another one. Unless she was talking about his body odor, which was unlikely considering he just had a bath this morning. She knew.

"Because I owe him a favor and you'd do me a favor?" Puck asked, his eyes growing larger, giving her an adorable stare.

"Ugh, I can help him, I suppose," she said. "It depends on what he needs, though."

"Lelouch," Puck said. Lelouch nodded, closing the door behind him and taking the white book out of his pocket. She stared at it, furrowing her eyebrows before snatching it out of his hands.

"It was delivered to me, and-"

"It's not a gospel," she said. Puck nodded.

"I know it isn't."

"I beg your pardon?" Lelouch asked, looking back and forth between them.

"A gospel is a book that is owned by the Sin Archbishops of the Witch's Cult," Puck explained. "They get a book delivered and become members of the witch cult, but their books are usually black."

"I can't read this," she said. Lelouch breathed out through his nose.

"You can't?" Puck asked. "I thought if there's anyone who can, it's you, Betty."

"No, there's some kind of key, some ancient magic," she explained. "If you're not holding the key, you can't read it. It won't let you. I know books like these-"

Perhaps the emblem. Lelouch couldn't really show that off as easily as the book, though, there were implications with those things, though apparently there were also those about gospels he wasn't aware about.

"I see," Lelouch said. "Thank you. I'll have to find someone else to decode it, then."

"No," the child said. "You have the key. I can feel it."

Lelouch twitched. Of course she could. Magic, he felt, was more his enemy than something to pursue at the moment.

"I do?" Lelouch asked. He grabbed into his pockets, taking out the emblem. "All I have on me is this."

The key exploded in a blinding white light that settled down after a bit. When Betty grabbed it out of his hands, looking at the book again, nothing happened.

"Hmph, it's bound to you, I suppose. Maybe because you found it."

Taking the book and emblem out of her hands, Lelouch looked at the first page when the glow appeared again.

"I don't know what day it is, or what month, or what year," Lelouch read aloud, the words in front of him twisting into common English. "All I know is that I landed in this world, and that I can't find a way home."

The rest was unintelligble, so Lelouch moved onto the second page.

"I found someone to stay with. She smells of berries and nature," Lelouch read further. "This seems to be… a diary?"

"Huh," Betty said. "If one knows the magic, it can be used for this too, I suppose."

"I've decided," Lelouch read the last parts of the second page. They were the only thing still translated. "I'll stay with her and make myself a new life. Staring right here, in this new world, from zero."

Lelouch felt something inside him tremble. Bowing to Betty and Puck, he smiled slightly.

"Thank you for your help."

* * *

Lelouch felt something inside him stir. Tremble. Something touched him as he read those words, and his gate was burning up. Deciding to read more tomorrow, Lelouch decided to go to bed, too exhausted. Perhaps the book had some kind of effect like that.

Unfortunately for Lelouch, he wasn't able to sleep.

The moment he stepped into his room and closed the door, the lights flickered off. Then they turned on again, and Lelouch grimaced.

A man stood there. Lelouch moved his hand towards his back, whispering the Sabal spell.

"I've been waiting for you, rejecter of love," Lelouch heard. The man standing in the guest room was staring at him with wide, bloodshot eyes, his face twisted in a frown and the mop of dark green hair slightly bloodied.

The body of Rem was behind him, twisted beyond recognition, lying in bloody pool, the blue hair ripped off her head and thrown around the room.

"She smelled me out, ohhh, what a nose, to find a believer in love so quickly, the diligence! A servant like that-"

Lelouch threw the dagger forward and created Sasam, sending the needle forward as well.

They were knocked out of the air without the man moving.

"But you, you, you you you youyouyou!" the man shouted. "You're not diligent at all, you're slothful, so slothful that you're rejecting her love!"

"Might I know who I'm talking with, first?" Lelouch asked.

"Of course, I'm TRULY ashamed that I have not begun the introduction right away!"

The man bowed, his face twisted in a smile instead of frown.

"I am! The Sin Archbishop representing SLOTH, Betelgeuse Romani-Conti! AH! But who am I telling that, someone who so shamelessly attacks an opponent with magic!"

The feeling of dread in Lelouch reduced the feeling of tiredness as adrenaline shot through his body. The man was dangerous. More than dangerous.

"And I've come to show you here love! My proof of love, and you'll come with me!"

Something moved. He couldn't see it, but Lelouch was grasped by the legs and lifted into the air.

"I don't know what kind of love you're talking about," Lelouch said. This situation was lost. The only one who noticed him, keeping track of his room to be sure he wasn't doing anything suspicious, was Rem.

"You don't feel loved?" Betelgeuse asked. "You don't? Are you too slothful to feel the tingling, burning sensation inside you, the witch's love! Her love! The love of the most beautiful, most exhilarating, breathtaking, lovable-"

"If you speak about the stench of that witch," Lelouch said. "Then I don't feel it."

The man's crazed rambling stopped, and Betelgeuse bit down on his fingers.

"'Stench'?" he asked in an unusually calm voice. "That's not it, is it? You can't feel it, and call it a stench. You rejection knows no bounds, does it? Does it? DOES IT?"

The feeling of pressure around his legs increased. Lelouch hissed in pain.

Something was holding him up. Something he couldn't see. Magic, of some kind.

Lelouch created a dagger inside his hands and swung it above his legs. It broke.

"Stop struggling," Betelgeuse said. "I'll kill you. Slowly. But not before I make you realize her love."

Lelouch flew through the air, slung towards the pile of books and smashing into it. Hissing in pain as his back impacted on the desk, Lelouch glared at the man. Before he died, he'd have to find out more.

"You wanted me to go with you," Lelouch said. "Why?"

"Because you're disgusting," the Archbishop said, biting through his skin and flesh on his fingers. "Disgusting, absolutely disgusting! She loves you the most, but you reject her! You reject her as if she was doing you harm, while all she does is show you love!"

"Being loved by that Witch of Envy," Lelouch hissed, the pain in his back growing worse as the feeling of pressure lifted him up again. His right hand grabbed the sword from the ground, the sheath sliding off. "Sounds absolutely revolting, Archbishop!"

Betelgeuse screeched, and Lelouch's body was flung towards him. The sword smashed into Betelgeuse's stomach, cutting into him. Footsteps were heard outside. They must've checked on the commotion. The door wasn't opening.

"Ahhhh… this pain," Betelgeuse moaned, holding his bloodied hand over Lelouch's. "My brain trembles… and you… you thought something like this would kill me?"

The pressure appeared again, this time around Lelouch's head. The door blasted open as the pressure increased more and more, and all Lelouch could hear were his own screams.

Before Emilia could do anything, Lelouch died, his head exploding.

* * *

Lelouch stumbled through the door, his head feeling as if it was about to split apart from the sudden headache was feeling.

"Is everything alright?" Roswaal asked. Lelouch looked up. The dining room.

Lelouch shook his head. "I… think I might have gotten sick on the journey here. Could you point me towards the bathroom, please?"

"Of course," Roswaal said. "Lunch will be ready any minute, please join us when you feel better."

"Thank you, margrave."

Lelouch stumbled through the halls after Roswaal gave him the directions. He knew where it was, so finding it wasn't actually very hard, and Lelouch all but fell into the door.

Another point to return to.

Another adversary.

Lelouch could say for sure now, three in for three, that these save points appeared before something major went down, which meant that he'd have to struggle to survive against Betelgeuse.

It didn't sound too hard. Spend time with Roswaal and Emilia, hope they're capable of taking down the Sin Archbishop. If he avoided using magic, he might not even give off too much of the witch's scent, which would keep Rem from dying.

Shaking his head, Lelouch took the emblem and the book out of his robes and opened them. Page one and two looked like they did before.

Page three through to twenty were unintelligible. Lelouch bit his lip. The discussion with Crusch and Aldebaran was fixed now. Twenty-one to twenty-nine were unintelligible. Page thirty had a few words.

'She hasn't been the same since she found it. She was more attached…'

The book didn't have any answers. But nothing happened without a reason here, the emblem, the book. The feeling he received when he read the first two pages. It was a diary. What use was it-

The pages turned backwards on their own until they landed on page 3. The writing became readable.

"I created a spell to send her messages," Lelouch read. "So she wouldn't get lonely when I was out, learning more and more about this strange world."

Of course. Eventually, everything would work out.

At least this once.

Lelouch relaxed as the pain left and he stepped out of the bathroom. Moving back towards the dining hall, he passed Rem and Ram who were carrying the food. Russell Fellow trailing behind them.

"Greetings, Sir Fellow," Lelouch said, a small smile on his lips. He was still a bit pale, he was sure, but it should be enough for a normal conversation. Rem shot Lelouch a disgusted look nonetheless. The sheer audacity of presenting such an expression to a guest… but Lelouch couldn't say he minded it.

Because it was the expression he would have given himself he could smell the witch like that. Suppressing the mana inside him that one time gave him more trouble than it was worth, and burning Ferris' hands was proof about the danger of the witch even without her actual presence.

"Ah, you must be the Golden, correct?" Russell asked. Lelouch shook his head.

"If it's all the same to you, sir, I'd prefer just Lelouch."

"Then please, call me Russell."

"As you wish," Lelouch said, stepping into the dining room with him. Emilia was sitting there, not looking as tense as the last time. The magrave must've talked to her. "Thank you for your invitation, margrave, Lady Emilia."

"Please, sit down," Roswaal said. "We can discuss debts and the like after lunch."

"Very well."


	12. The Empress' Name

**Chapter 12: The Empress' Name**

* * *

Emilia was smiling. Lelouch felt his mood improve. He snuffed that feeling out like a lighter's flame during a storm. Irritation didn't even begin to describe the feeling that bubbled up now. Something was dragging him towards Emilia, and he would bet that he knew just what.

If anything, he now had to be suspicious of anything favorable he was doing for the half-elf. Russell Fellows took a seat as the food was put onto the table, and Lelouch swallowed, his appetite gone.

"Are you sick?" Emilia asked. Lelouch shook his head.

"I'm afraid that I've been on my feet for far too long. The last few days have been very… eventful, to say the least."

Emilia nodded. "I've heard news that the capital was having trouble lately."

"None that the good knights couldn't handle, I'm sure," Lelouch said, smiling.

Roswaal smiled. "Oho? But wasn't it you that took care of the would-be assassin?" he asked. Lelouch's lips twitched upwards. "I've heard they gave you quite the title for it."

"I'm not too attached to such nicknames," Lelouch said. "And the situation with the assassin was luck, I'd say. My magic is not quite up to the level where it should impress Margrave Mathers, the Sorcerer of this generation."

Sorcerer, named after the divine blessing of the Mathers family. It made them strong, maybe not quite at the level where they could take on the Astraea family, but the kind of person that Lelouch wouldn't want to face in a direct fight. Roswaal's family had been described as one-man armies, and one of the many reasons Lugnica is unlikely to face invastion from outside forces.

"I'm not too attached to my nickname either," Roswaal said. Emilia spoke up. Russell was already eating, seemingly unconcerned but nonetheless very attentive. "A nickname?" Emilia asked. Lelouch twitched. Of course she'd be interested in things like that, considering her own names. Half-devil, the witch's relative, he heard some of the nobles whisper.

"The Golden," Russell said, a grin on his lips. "It was quite the display, I've heard, so I can't say the name doesn't fit, but it does sound like a name that would be better suited to a master Yang mage such as the Lady Barielle."

"Perhaps so," Lelouch said. "It's not a noble title, so I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Those are easily earned during wars, so you're out of luck if you're pinning for one," Russell said. Lelouch waved him off.

"With the right amount of land and money, that could be solved too, but I'm looking for something different," Lelouch said. "My studies of magic have been… fun, I suppose that's a word to describe it."

Without any direct goals besides surviving and find out what has been going on over in his world, Lelouch could take it slow. Considering he was in three for three now, it'd not be to far-fetched to assume that the points he returned to were very specifically designed to let him survive future events, however far they were.

If the save point was right after the assassin, it'd be a 'victory' that decided the point moving forward. Sadly, it wasn't, which meant that Crusch Karsten and Priscilla Barielle were still problems that could crop up in the future.

"Yang magic is quite something," a higher pitched voice said. It was Puck, appearing from behind Emilia and sitting down on her head. "But spirit magic is what's really incredible!"

"It's quite something, yes," Lelouch said. "Drawing mana from the atmosphere creates a few possibilities."

"So you recognize the spirit's greatness, huh?" Puck said, the right side of his mouth twitching upwards, one eye open. "You're not too bad of a guy, even though you should take a shower."

Lelouch grimaced. Emilia let out an exasperated sigh. "Puck."

"I'm afraid I haven't had time to take a bath yet, I'll be sure to do that after lunch."

Puck stared at him, and Lelouch refused to shrink away from the stare of a cat, mighty spirit or not.

"Puck," Emilia said, flicking Puck on the back of his head. "Please don't insult our guest. We owe him a debt."

Lelouch stared at the food in front of him, and he became aware of Rem's stare. It was unlikely she was going to poison him so blatantly, but if looks could kill, he'd probably be dying right about now. Taking a bite, Lelouch forced himself to continue eating despite his lack of appetite.

He was going to die in this route. He was sure of it, if not, he'd kill himself - the plan to deal with Betelgeuse was only to delay the inneivtable and get more information.

So he'd have to grasp for information where he could.

"I'm not going to ask for much," Lelouch said, making the rest of the table perk up. "There's been nasty rumors going around that I'm hoping to investigate, if you were to give me information on it, there's no need for me to hold onto something as a debt."

"That's very generous," Russell said, confusion evident in his voice. "To trade something like a debt of saving a life for information…"

"The Witch Cult," Lelouch said. The tension grew, and Rem's glare was mirrored by Ram as well. Roswaal put down his cutlery and leaned forward. "I'm afraid that I've become a target for them, and I'd like to know just what I might be dealing with."

"You're not joking," Russell said. Lelouch's stare was the answer to the statement. "I thought you were more subtle, the people at the capital clearly stated so."

He would be if he had to be careful with his words. Emilia shrunk into her seat, and Puck looked angry.

"I apologize for bringing the topic up," Lelouch said, sighing. "But after assassins and the headaches involved, I'm sure that you understand. I can't afford to be clueless, so I'm gathering all kinds of information."

"Why not simply stay in the capital, then?" Russell asked.

Roswaal shook his head. "Because the capital isn't safe," the margrave stated. "The assassin Elsa got in without rising alarm. Another assassin, even less competent than her managed to sneak into a safe place for nobles."

"It's not a surprise," Lelouch said. "That I'm not trusting the knights of the capital with my safety."

"The road you walk seems to be a lonely one, then. What about your friend, sir Reinhard?"

"I can't rely on him for protection when he has his princess to worry about," Lelouch answered. Lonely road, no. That wasn't quite it. Lelouch had friends, at least he'd like to call Reinhard such, maybe even Felt, but what he needed was more than friends. He needed people he could trust unconditionally, subordinates.

And amassing power was going to draw the attention of Crusch Karsten. It might even draw the attention of Priscilla Barielle. Amassing wealth was gonna draw the attention of Anastasia Hoshin.

And dealing with the witch cult was without a doubt going to raise some flags for Emilia and Roswaal.

But if it was to survive and stop looping back, there was no way he could sit behind the lines now. Permanent damage to his relationship with the candidates has already been done, though his problem with Priscilla seemed more one sided than he'd like to admit.

"The Witch Cult," Roswaal said, "is a four-hundred year old cult worshipping the Witch of Envy, Satella. Emilia, dear, if you wish you can leave the room for this conversation."

Emilia shook her head. "I don't need to leave. I'll-"

"It's alright," Puck said. "People like that won't touch my daughter. There's nothing to fear from them."

Emilia relaxed, though it was more a resigned shrug of her shoulders than actual calm.

"Four-hundred years since the witch has been defeated, and they immediately cropped up?"

Roswaal shook his head at Lelouch's question. "They've been active since she was. Their presence has made the situation before he was defeated worse, but the first reported appearance of an Sin Archbishop was two weeks after that event."

"Sin Archbishops?" Lelouch asked. He read a bit about them, but the information was flimsy, barely information, it described them as leaders of the witch cultists.

"Individuals who hold powers that Satella used in her rampage," Puck said. "They're named after the six witches that Satella murdered. Pride, Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth and Lust."

"But not Envy," Lelouch said.

"Envy is the witch, and they are working towards her return," Puck said. "I've dealt with them for long since before you've been born. As a spirit, my memory has been filled with many gruesome events that happened over the years, and they are almost always in the middle of it."

"I see," Lelouch said, a pit in his stomach. Four-hundred years, and powers that were used by Satella herself.

"All of them are marked by the gospel," Roswaal continued where Puck left off. "A black book that gives them the authority to hold the witch's power, anyone who reads it goes mad. A popular theory is that witch cultists have been forced to join by reading those."

"I'd disagree," Lelouch said. "Obviously some people join out of some enjoyment for destruction and bloodshed. So they've been active this long, and the information on them is sparse?"

"Most people who face the witch cult don't live to tell the tale," Roswaal said. "They're dangerous because they don't fear death, and move in small numbers. I've had to displeasure of fighting them once."

His eyes moved towards Rem and Ram. Lelouch grimaced, a story for another day. If they had a past with the cult, it'd explain the behavior.

"It's hard interrogating a corpse," Russell said. The man grabbed his chin in thought. "That's quite the cake you put on your plate, Lelouch. What makes you believe the witch cult is out for you?"

"Because this isn't the first time people have mentioned that I need to take a bath," Lelouch said. Puck's glare darkened. "And I've been wondering if it meant something."

Russell shrugged. "Maybe that you should visit a bathroom. If it's something magical, I'm probably as clueless as you are."

The man knew exactly what was going on, though he couldn't be aware of the specifics. Lelouch smiled, hiding it behind his hands as he put his elbows onto the table and clasped his hands.

"I'll keep that in mind, Russell."

"Now," Roswaal said, his voice tinged with some kind of lighthearted humor. "I'd hope that we can relax now that this nasty topic is over with. Emilia?"

She didn't look very well, though the determination in her eyes was something Lelouch took note of swiftly.

Someone like that would obviously not get along with the cult. If anything, the cult might be against her or even do things in her name because of her appearance.

"I apologize for bringing it up," Lelouch said again. "I'm a man of my word, however, there's no debt between you and me, Lady Emilia. Please, consider us even."

"But I didn't actually-" Lelouch raised his hand to stop her.

"You're a candidate to become queen, Lady Emilia," Lelouch said, smiling. Rem's glare darkened. "Considering the distress I've caused you, I believe this has gone on for far too long. Please don't consider me as someone you owe a debt to, but as a friendly acquaintance."

Puck measured him up, his inquisitive stare as throughout as Rem's glare, but softer. Then, suddenly, he stood up and floated over to Lelouch as if he had found what he was looking for.

Raising his paw forward, Puck spoke up.

"I thank you," he said. "For saving the life of my daughter when I was unable to react, and for your generosity."

Lelouch blinked. "You're welcome, Puck."

"I apologize for my earlier behavior, you seem aware of the problem, and I can understand your caution of the witch cult due to it," Puck said, a bit quieter. Lelouch wasn't sure it was quiet enough for the others to miss it, but that wasn't the point of the sudden discretion. Lelouch took the offered paw in between two fingers and shook it.

It was probably looking ridiculous for others.

"If you're not the kind of person I think you are, though, and abuse our goodwill, I will kill you."

The threat was clear, and Lelouch couldn't help it. Breaking out in a soft laugh, the tension in the room bled away, and Puck actually looked confused for a moment before laughing with him.

In the absurdity of the situation, Lelouch's heart felt lighter.

And Rem, too, relaxed, as the stench began to recede.

* * *

Lelouch held the book in one hand and read through the description of the spell again. From what he had read of the communication metia's, this spell seemed to be some kind of predecessor. A spell to project the thoughts of someone as a message and create a 'mirror' that allowed people to communicate through it.

There was no incantation, though. No information about how to cast the spell. Only a description. Back onto the first page, Lelouch concentrated, trying to decipher the start of the book first.

"I don't know what day, what month or what year it is…" Lelouch read the words again. "Can't find a way home…"

His mutters trailed off as the text began to become intelligible, and he read further, the message becoming clearer and clearer.

"Nature doesn't suit me. I reached a village, the people were kind but their homes were the trees. Trees don't have a lot of space for another person. They told me to try it further down the stream, houses were there."

If this was Flügel's diary, it was describing his journey from the first time he arrived in this world up to some point. If Flügel also just arrived in this world... then perhaps there was more going on than he knew. Aldebaran, too, was from Britannia.

The message was simple, the diary entry was telling his journey down to the houses.

"I found someone to stay with…" Someone to stay with. Who? The words became readable. Berries and nature. "The woman with the silver hair looked lonely, and she didn't hesitate to invite me to stay when I said I had no place to return to."

Silver hair. There was no way it was a coincidence. Considering the possessiveness he described on later pages, Flügel must have witnessed her descent into Envy.

Flügel and the Witch of Envy used to live together. It was such a weird concept that a man famed for getting rid of her was the person who witnessed her fits of jealousy.

Lelouch's chest tightened. The witch's hands reached out inside him, as if begging him to stop reading. Lelouch didn't.

"I fell in love," Lelouch read aloud. It had an effect, the words seemed to calm her, as if she was noticing that the diary was speaking about her. "When she smiled at me today, I felt that I had found my place. I've decided-"

He'd stay here and start in a different world, start his life from zero.

If Lelouch could simply do something like that, he'd have it easier, but his attachment to his old world, to his family and friends, it was something that made him human.

It was something that made him different from his father, who would sacrifice his children and his own brother to achieve his goal.

The fourth page, completely empty, filled out with a magical formula. A detailed description of the spell.

Flügel's diary wanted to tell a story before offering him something up. Either it was aware, or Flügel created it this way to justify what he did.

Creating a small circle on a paper, Lelouch filled it out with Flügel's symbols and held his hand over it, releasing mana, and he could immediately hear the footsteps of Rem outside the room.

The bright light that shined through the room was white, not golden. The symbol appeared on his hand, like a tattoo, but barely visible on his skin unless held under the light.

Focusing mana into it, Lelouch spoke the incantation.

"Mandillia. Reinhard."

The mirror appeared in front of him, a hole in the space, and it reached out.

The white circle began to fill with a familiar face, a red-haired knight who looked surprised. He was also topless.

"I think I tested out this spell at an unfortunate time," Lelouch said dryly. Reinhard laughed.

"I don't think I've heard of a spell like this. Is that you, Lelouch?"

"I'd hope so, I don't know who you'd expect to bother you during a bath besides me," Lelouch said. Reinhard shrugged. "Actually, it'd be better if you don't tell me."

Reinhard laughed again. "How have you been?"

"Some advantages and disadvantages, I've found out how to decipher the book. This spell is quite useful, I should teach you and Felt for emergencies."

If possible, he should teach it to as many allies as possible. Communication over long distances was hard to do here, and something like this beat any letter."

"That'd be too kind," Reinhard said, smiling. Lelouch smiled back. "Best not to tell Felt about this incident, though."

"Why take away her fun?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard muttered something under his breath. "I'll keep practicing the spell for a bit, goodbye Reinhard."

"See you in a while," he said. Waving his hand through the mirror, he vanished it and smiled. Step one, complete.

* * *

Lelouch stepped out early in the morning after taking a bath and stared at the sight of Emilia, surrounded by hundreds of lights.

Spirits, Lelouch took note of them.

His mood improved steadily since the success of the spell, and even the impending doom involving Betelgeuse wasn't bothering him too much.

He had died far too often to care at this point.

Morbid, perhaps, but nonetheless true.

When the lights vanished, he approached, taking note of Puck's head turning towards him.

"Good morning, Puck, Lady Emilia," Lelouch said. Emilia turned around quickly.

"Good morning!" she said a bit too loud. Puck nodded towards him. "Why are you awake so early?"

"I don't sleep very long," Lelouch said. "I'm used to stay awake for a long time too, it's kind of a skill I've acquired over the years."

Being in a war zone and then leading a revolution can do that to you.

"You reek less," Puck said. Emilia sighed at him, but Lelouch just smiled.

"I've just taken a bath, so I'd hope so," Lelouch said. Puck laughed, sounding exaggeratedly diabolical.

"There's nothing that the nose of the great spirit Puck misses, I am like a bloodhound!"

"Maybe the dog would like a shower," Emilia said, creating a bit of water that dripped down on Puck.

"N-no, don't do that!" Puck said, flying away from the water and landing on Lelouch's shoulder, leaving part of Lelouch's shirt damp. Lelouch let it slide. "You've been practicing magic all night, aren't you tired?"

"Strangely enough, this magic doesn't seem to strain me as much. It's been quite interesting, actually."

"Oh?" Emilia asked. Puck stared at him curiously.

This loop was his chance to see where he stood, how far he could push it to find out things.

"It's a book that came into my posession recently, it seems to be a diary by the Sage Flügel," Lelouch said. Emilia's awed 'ohhh' was as entertaining of a sight as Puck's incredulous stare. Lelouch released some mana through his hand and watched Puck move away from his shoulder before speaking up again. "Mandillia. Puck."

The mirror appeared at the same time next to both of them and opened up an image.

"It works over long distances," Lelouch said. "I've spoken with Reinhard just yesterday night. I need a name and a face to use it, however."

"That's… that's impressive!" Emilia said. "Magic like this has been lost for a long time, metia's are incredibly expensive! Something like this could allow people that can barely use magic to communicate-"

"Yes, it's my intention to release information about the spell," Lelouch said. "And perhaps make a profit."

"But why make people pay if this could do so much good?" Emilia asked. Puck shook his head.

"Because people need money to live, Lia," Puck said. "There's nothing wrong in making some profit before everyone shares the spell. There's more to it than the incantation, right? It's not something you can do just on a whim."

"Yes," Lelouch said. "There's need of a formula that's engraved on the skin. It might be why it doesn't drain me as much, it's a focus, taking only as much mana as it needs."

"Interesting," Puck said. "What's the limit on it?"

"I don't know," Lelouch answered. "The capital is about two days away while using the dragon carriage, that's quite the distance, though I wouldn't know if I could call a person in Kararagi."

"This could revolutionize the communication of the whole kingdom," Emilia said. "Orders could be given to knights at any distance, there would be no need for letters anymore-"

"Perhaps so, but it'd also mean that criminals have an easier time communicating," Lelouch interrupted. "And enemy armies will be more organized than before. There's disadvantages to every good invention, Lady Emilia."

A bomb to blow up everything to kingdom come built on the technology to power bipedal tanks that were used for war.

"Nothing comes without a price," Lelouch continued. Emilia's shoulders slumped and Puck sighed.

"Making my daughter sad, what a vile man you are, Lelouch Lamperouge."

"I apologize," Lelouch suppressed his urge to grin. A point he could use. She would be very interested in the spell.

But so would Crusch Karsten. And he was the only one who could decipher the book, which left him safe from anyone who might want to abuse it.

The rest of the day would have to be spent relaxing and preparing.

Lelouch had a fight to lose.

* * *

Opening the door to his room at night, Lelouch didn't even flinch when the first thing he noticed was Rem's remains, the maid twisted into unthinkable shape.

Betelgeuse stood there, his face pressed against the wall and humming a tune. Lelouch considered the situation.

He could do this two ways. One would be to simply surrender and let Betelgeuse take him instead of antagonizing him. The other one would be calling himself a cultist and saying he had been expecting him.

This time, he'd have to take the easy way out.

"Hello," Lelouch said. The man turned around. "Sin Archbishop Betelgeuse Romani-Conti. I've been expecting you."

The man's head turned around like an owl's, and Lelouch resisted the urge to look away from the disgusting sight of the cult leader's face.

"Ahhh, what a lovely smell, how strange, deceiver of love- you know who I am?"

"Of course," Lelouch said. Betelgeuse seemed… calm. More calm than before. Something had changed? Or perhaps the way he approached the situation made it change radically already. "I knew you'd come, and why you came."

"Ah, what dilligence, truly!" Betelgeuse swung his arm outwards, his other hand on his chest. "What a shame that you're a heretic, a person such as you can only be pride. You are, aren't you?"

"I've not received the gospel," Lelouch said. Betelgeuse's face twisted into something like a snarl.

"Of course you haven't!" Betelgeuse shouted. Lelouch was lifted into the air and as if light flickered, dark hands appeared around him, coming from Betelgeuse's body.

He could see them now.

Not commenting on the appearance of the hands, Lelouch hissed in pain as they held him tightly.

"Take me wherever you wanted to take me, Sin Archbishop, I don't have time for your shenanigans."

"I take it back, you're slothful," Betelgeuse said. "I want to kill you, deceiver and rejecter of love! Kill you so you can no longer be the heretic you are now- but she won't allow it! You're needed for the sake of love!"

"Then bring me to her," Lelouch said. "And let me in on that love you wish to spread through the world."

"Ahhhhh, you're the worst! The worst! The WORST! WORST! WORST!"

Though Betelgeuse's black hands were still holding Lelouch up, the man himself began hitting his head against the wall, the sound would without a doubt draw the attention of the others.

"But of course, you'll see the light, the glory, the beauty, the breathtaking existence! Come!"

Betelgeuse's hands formed into one large hand, grabbing him and pulling him out of the window. Both of the men were flying through the air at high speeds.

It was no wonder that they were in and out of a flash, leaving nothing but destruction behind. WIth a power such as Betelgeuse's, they had an incredible advantage.

* * *

When they finally arrived, it was beyond mountains, and Lelouch couldn't even tell in which direction they were going after a while.

They reached a temple. Something that looked like a temple, at least, and he was dragged inside, slammed against a wall and his back scraping against it as Betelgeuse dragged him towards the central room.

People in black clothes with pointy masks stood around the room, and Lelouch was all but hurled at a throne in the middle. When he hissed in pain at the treatment, the hands appeared again and fixed him to it.

"Watch!" Betelgeuse shouted. "The rejecter of love! Deceiver of the Witch!"

Lelouch took a deep breath and forced himself to relax.

Information. This was a lost cause. There was nothing to be gained from this loop but information.

"Alright, you had your fun," Lelouch said. "You wanted me for something, get to it. Where's the person that asked you to drag me here."

"Patience. Stay PATIENT. Why can't you just stay QUIET and PATIENT, why do you expect everything to come to you like that, ahhhh, how slothful! You're truly the worst kind of sloth!"

Lelouch watched as the man removed the white book from his pockets.

"The deceiver's gospel! The pretender's book!" Betelgeuse shouted. The man threw the book onto the ground and grabbed a torch. Before he could burn it, however, he vanished.

Then a woman stepped in.

Her hair was the color of platinum and her eyes were a deep blue. If Lelouch had to describe her in one word, it'd be 'disgusting'.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful person he had ever met. By any standards, someone like that was beyond logic, unreachable and impossible, and compared to the first time he met Elsa or the strange pull he felt towards Emilia, all that his body did was refuse to even look at her.

"Hello," she said with the voice of an angel's chorus, or perhaps it was the sound of a hundred nails scratching a blackboard. "I apologize for my subordinate's treatment. He was the only one who could've brought you here this quickly."

"You might want to choose your servants more carefully then," Lelouch said, his body free from the pain of being restrained. "You're the leader, then?"

"To a certain degree," she said. "I don't think you'd know my name. I'm Pandora. If you can hear it, he grabbed the right person, at least."

Hear it? Why wouldn't he?

"What a fitting name," Lelouch said. She looked confused for a moment, before shaking her head. Her hair bobbed left and right.

"Ah, something from your world," she said. Lelouch pursed his lips. Someone else who knew. "Pandora's box? What a… vain story. I need your help, Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "My help?"

She took the book off the ground, Flügel's diary began to burn her hands at her touch. "This book. I want you to translate it for me."

It was a simple request, but it opened up questions. He was probably the only one who could read it for one reason or another, but…

Why did she need what was inside the diary?

There was one clear answer to it. The witch cult's ultimate goal was the revival of the witch Satella, so Flügel's diary could hold the key. If he described the spell used to defeat her, they could reverse it. He couldn't let that happen.

How did she know his name? Was she the one responsible for bringing him here? Maybe to translate the book? Did she give him the power? No. It was likely Satella, but until he had all the information, admitting his ability to return by death was detrimental.

But that was what he was here for.

"What do you hope to gain?"

"Everything," Pandora said. "The book holds everything I need."

"And what would I gain from it?"

"I wouldn't kill you."

Lelouch resisted the urge to laugh. She didn't know, then.

"I don't fear death," Lelouch said. "And you know a name that I hold no love for. If you want me to help you, you'd have to offer me the world."

"Why don't I offer you yours?" she asked. "If I know that name, if I know you come from another world, perhaps you should consider the implications. Our strength does not simply lie in our eagerness to revive Satella."

Lelouch's eyebrows twitched, and he leaned back in the throne of stone.

"You're offering me to return?" Lelouch asked. Pandora shrugged. "There's nothing for me back there. I'm a dead man."

"Then," she said, and her tone shifted. It was as if she was waiting for this moment, her appearance giving of a certain vibe of arrogance. "Perhaps you'd be more ready to help us so that the world you died for won't die by our hands."

Full stop. Lelouch felt a shiver go down his spine, his hands gripping the sides of the throne until his knuckles turned white. Standing up, Lelouch glared at Pandora.

"You would dare to threaten them?" Lelouch asked. He had to be sure. Her words were clear, but the one in a billion chance that he might be wrong was there.

"I would," she said. "Translate, and we let them go. Don't, and the might of the witch cult will enter your world and wreak destruction."

Lelouch grit his teeth, grinding them together and taking the book out of her hand.

"Do you think I'd believe such a flimsy excuse of yours? If you had that power, you'd have long since found a way to bring back Satella without this book."

"Ah, but do you want to risk it for the off chance that you're right and I'm lying?" she asked. "Or perhaps you'd expect me to admit I was bluffing when I was really not?"

Lelouch gathered mana around his hand, grabbing the emblem and opening the book. She looked satisfied. "There are so many people who depend on you, Lelouch."

Lelouch vision grew red. White hot fury coursed through him.

There was nothing in this world someone could threaten him with. His friendships were minor, the people he met enemies or acquaintances at most.

This woman. No, this monster.

She knew how to push all his buttons. She had some sort of power that made her an impossible enemy, all the information she found must be from somewhere, maybe even his own mind.

Maybe from a portal to another world.

"I won't do it," Lelouch said. Pandora sighed, wiping a strand of hair away from her face. "Not because I feel obligated to protect this world from Satella, not because I have some sort of worries about doing what is right or avoiding to do what is wrong."

"Then your sister will die, and you're to blame."

"There's something I've learned over there," he said. "I don't negotiate with terrorists."

Needles shot through the book, destroying it. Pandora actually looked surprised for a moment, then angry. She tried to repair the book with some sort of magic, but it rejected her just like her touch.

Lelouch felt the satisfaction bleed away when she slapped his head off his body.

* * *

Lelouch came by as he stumbled through the door to the dining room, his thoughts hazy. Roswaal helped him stand up straight, but before he could say anything, a flail came flying through the hall, about to rip open Lelouch by the spine.

A shield by Roswaal stopped it, and the man looked livid.

"Rem!" he shouted. "How dare you-"

"The smell of the witch!" she said. Her horn was out, shining brightly, Ram rushing in behind her. "He smells like an army of mabeasts!"

Roswaal shook his head, closing the door quickly and letting Ram calm down her sister. When he turned to apologize to his guest, however, he noticed something.

Lelouch's face was twisted in an expression of fury and scorn.

The young man all but snorted in anger, his teeth visible.

He had it. A purpose for this new world.

Annihilate the witch cult.

And leave no trace of their existence.

For Nunnally.

* * *

 **Leave a review to share your thoughts.**


	13. The Name of Sloth

**Chapter 13: The Name of Sloth**

* * *

The smell of the witch was not simply bound to his mention of the ability, but also to his emotional state. Though Lelouch was someone that planned ahead and could work in circumstances that surprised him nonetheless, that didn't mean he was entirely cool headed.

If anything, Lelouch wouldn't hesitate to say that he could become very emotional. There weren't many weaknesses to exploit with a man who had nothing to lose, but if there was something that'd strike a chord with him, then it'd be his sister.

Technically, his world being in danger was an ultimatum. As long as the ultimatum hasn't been spoken out, she would still attempt to speak to him, show him she's serious. Someone like Betelgeuse wasn't going to do that. Which means that avoiding to be taken was of the utmost priority.

The people at the table were tense. While only Roswaal and Lelouch knew what had happened earlier, Emilia and Russell were both quite capable of reading the mood. Lelouch's didn't improve even after he schooled his features into something less… malevolent.

Puck, however, didn't have any reservations about cutting through the tension with his words. He was seated on Emilia's head, his legs crossed and his stare towards Lelouch calculative.

"You know." Puck's words weren't an accusation. It was a simple matter of fact, and Lelouch would just look idiotic trying to deny it.

"I've known for a while," Lelouch said. "I've been cursed."

Emilia blinked. Russell didn't look particularly interested in a talk he didn't understand as a non-mage, but Lelouch could see that he wasn't letting this opportunity go waste to gather information.

"Cursed?" Emilia asked. Roswaal looked sceptic, before inclining his head. Lelouch assumed that the noble either accepted his reasoning, or at least thought his reasoning made sense with the information that Lelouch had. The man knew more than he let on, anyway.

"You can't smell it," Puck said. "And I didn't want to worry you, but the last time I smelled a stench this strong, I was fighting the Witch of Envy."

Lelouch's eyes widened slightly, and even Russell looked a bit put off by the information. Only Emilia and Roswaal didn't look surprised. Emilia couldn't smell the witch, so she wasn't just being polite by somehow pretending it didn't exist. It was nice having confirmation about that, though with a bloodhound, or cat rather, like Puck, it didn't matter.

"I don't know the specifics," Lelouch said. The right kind of information might make Puck and Roswaal more likely to be open to him. "But it can often lead to great pain, and my mood worsens the stench."

Russell would no doubt report to Crusch Karsten or whoever else had him in their pocket or vice versa, just to see if he could make a profit out of it. It didn't matter. Lelouch wasn't going to survive this loop.

"Your mood?" Roswaal intoned.

"Intense emotions," Lelouch lied. "Happiness, grief, anger. The more intense, the worse."

"And what emotion spilled out when you stepped into this room, then?" Roswaal asked. He wasn't letting up. That was alright, Lelouch could use that.

"I remembered my sister," Lelouch said. "We used to dine in a hall like this, back before I came to Lugnica."

Back before he was fighting a war against her.

"So you were a noble?"

Lelouch shrugged. "My sister was sick and we weren't going to inherit, when my mother passed away, my father shipped us off and left us on our own."

"That's horrible," Emilia said, all but slapping her hands on the table. Lelouch could appreciate how easy she was to read, simply honest to a fault. Puck didn't look convinced.

"It's what it is. Me and my sister had a… falling out, so to speak," Lelouch said, internally cringing at calling the war and subsequent arrangement of his own assassination a 'falling out'. "I miss her, but I know I can't be with her. It's been a… long time."

A very long time since the old days at Ashford's. If anything, even though he was simplifying it, Lelouch wasn't lying too much. The memories of the old days and his sister were always going to leave him miserable.

"And the curse?" Puck asked, sounding uninterested in Lelouch's sob story. The young man gave him a crooked grin. Roswaal didn't look like a family man either, so going through a rather stilted version of the events that brought him here wasn't going to catch his interest.

"I've had it since arriving in Lugnica," Lelouch said. "The more in detail I go about it, the worse the pain."

Emilia looked uncomfortable. It couldn't be Lelouch's vagueness, then perhaps pity?

"We have a spirit in the mansion," Roswaal spoke up. "She's very competent and knowledgeable about curses. Perhaps she could help you?"

"No," Lelouch said, the words leaving his mouth a bit too fast. Roswaal took notice. "The last time someone tried, they burned their hands. I'm not going to risk that again."

Unless it was someone like the Witch Cult, nobody deserved to end up scarred because of him. Felix's hands weren't going to leave his memory anytime soon. And if the curse could be lifted like that, then dying would actually mean dying, and Lelouch couldn't risk that. Not now.

Russell leaned forward, giving Lelouch a hard stare. "Is something the matter, Russell?"

"I'm just thinking," Russell said. "A curse like that, pain or the witch's stench, it goes over the head of someone like me, you know? But hm…"

The man held his chin, leaning back into his chair again, and Roswaal spoke up. "If you want me to explain it to you, I could."

"No, no, I get the gist of it, I'm just thinking, besides the pain, what kind of goal would such a curse accomplish?" Russell asked. Lelouch glanced at Roswaal, not seeing a reaction and then turned his stare back at Russell. "It sounds like something to mark you by. It'd draw the attention of the wrong kind of people, and make people who are aware of it hostile towards you."

Lelouch's lips were a thin line. It'd make sense, if it wasn't for the fact that every noble he had met up until now hasn't been actively hostile. The only one who had made it an issue was the mage back when he first learned about this world.

"I don't think so," Roswaal said. "Rather, it'd draw the attention of everyone."

"How so?" Russell asked. Emilia looked confused. Puck was eating her food.

"Someone who's obviously not insane, helping people and nobles in Lugnica, but yet smells like the witch," Roswaal said. "If anything, it'd almost make it look like he's been marked so the nobles would pay more attention to him. Make him more important than he would otherwise be."

Lelouch's lips twitched slightly. Might that be what it was? The interest of the nobles came mostly from the stench of the witch, rather than his charming personality? A soft laugh bubbled up in his throat. The stench of the witch became less obnoxious. Lelouch became less tense.

"Is there no fear of the witch among the nobles?" Lelouch asked.

"As long as the dragon and the Sword Saint's bloodline are there for Lugnica, nobody truly fears the witch. What people fear are more… contemporary issues."

"Mabeasts," Lelouch concluded. "The White Whale."

"And the Witch Cult," Russell said. Emilia looked uncomfortable. Puck was finishing up her plate.

Lelouch's lips twitched downwards. "I might have a clue on who cursed me, but I only have a name and a general appearance. Perhaps someone here might know her?"

"Oh?" Roswaal intoned, his interest showing.

"She was almost otherworldly, a woman named Pandora."

Roswaal opened his mouth and closed it again. Russell just tilted his head, confused. When Roswaal finally found his voice again, he stood up, a look of utter amazement on his face, mixed with a fair helping of fear.

"How could you say that name?" Roswaal asked. Lelouch didn't think he saw the man this open and easy to read before in their very short time of knowing each other.

"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked. "It's a name, isn't it?"

"It's… you can _say_ it!" Roswaal said, moving around the table. He was about to grab Lelouch's face before he noticed where they were. "The name has a curse on it, a condition that makes it impossible to mention or write! The only people who should know her name are people she spoke it to-"

"Who is she?"

"A…" Roswaal began, turning to Emilia and Russell. "Let us meet in my study later on. I'll explain it to you then. I apologize for my outburst."

"Don't mention it," Lelouch said. "I apologize for bringing up something so upsetting."

Lelouch could see Roswaal's fingers twitch. The man's emotions were going wild. He looked like he wanted to ask a thousand questions, but Emilia's and Russel's presence made it hard. Rather than worry too much, Lelouch embraced the fact that he finally had some leverage.

* * *

Eventually, Lelouch and Roswaal were seated in his study. The room was tidy, except for the large desk near the giant window that would be a security risk in any modern society with access of sniper rifles.

On the desk were various tomes and other kinds of books. Lelouch found some books with titles that sounded more or less like fictional novels, though something like that was rather hard to judge in a world where fantasy is reality.

But even in a world where magic is common, half-elves can become rulers due to a dragon's prophecy of all things, and maids swing flails around, there was an universal truth. Something that was clear for every fight one wanted to start.

Know your enemy.

Lelouch couldn't afford to work with incomplete information and take it step by step, returning to the past if he messed something up. Destroying the Witch Cult would need time. Absolute annihilation took careful planning.

So when Lelouch eventually resorted to demanding information from Roswaal about that monster of a woman so the noble could repay his favor, he didn't expect the man to be so _eager_.

"That woman," Roswaal said, his words sounding as if he was chewing on something bitter. "She's a Witch."

Lelouch blinked. "Which one? It can't be Envy, did one of the six others survive?"

"No." Roswaal shook his head, somehow sounding annoyed about the fact. It was as if a mask had slipped off, melting and revealing passion where there was none before. "She's the witch of Vainglory."

Vainglory, not pride. Lelouch had thought she might've been one of the archbishops, the leader of the lot. But instead, she turns out to be a Witch? A Witch who seeks to bring back the one that nearly destroyed the world?

The story as it is told would make Satella stronger than the other witches. Absorbing the other's powers, she became even more powerful than a being that threatened to attack his world and bring chaos and death to his friends and family? Lelouch drew a shaky breath.

If Satella broke out and destroyed everything, absorbing Pandora… would she turn her head towards his sister's world?

If so, if there's the remote chance, one chance in a hundred billion, he couldn't risk it.

"As you know, the archbishops hold authorities," Roswaal began again. "Those authorities allow them to use the powers of the witches, but even so, it's only a fraction of the powers. A Witch is on another level entirely."

Lelouch thought back to Betelgeuse's careless antics. The hands, used by the right people, would probably be a lot more dangerous.

"And her authority makes her name a taboo?" Lelouch asked. Roswaal nodded.

"I can't tell you what the authority of Vainglory is, but it's dangerous enough that it can affect the entire world for something like a name. Imagine she decided to make every known word a taboo."

Lelouch didn't need to be a genius to realize how bad that'd be, but it certainly helped. It wouldn't take too long until people resorted to sign language they'd somehow come up with, but the fraction of the first few weeks would make it a dangerous time.

"The curse," Lelouch said. "It might let me speak about her."

"But it doesn't make sense," Roswaal said, shaking his head. "If she gave you the curse, why would she allow you to use her name?"

"A side effect?" Lelouch asked. The idea that Pandora is responsible for the curse was far fetched, but Roswaal was at least willing to consider it now. "I cannot speak of the specifics, as you know, but perhaps the curse had a condition attached to it."

Conditional magic rather than direct one. Traps and the like could be created with such. In this case, the conditions were easy - Satella didn't want him to die. So if he died, the condition would trigger and send him back. If he spoke of it, the condition would trigger and hurt him.

Direct magic would be a curse that simply drained him. It had no condition. It kept going and going until he was dead.

"So the condition to apply a curse like that to you, which made you unable to speak of certain things, made you capable of speaking about something that's forbidden?"

Lelouch simply shrugged, giving the man a small smile. "I wouldn't know."

While Lelouch wanted to bring up the diary, he could play that card later. Roswaal knew a lot more than he was letting on, he always did. A man was entitled to his secret, just not from Lelouch.

"So what do you know about Pandora?" Lelouch asked.

"I've… met her once," Roswaal said. There was some reluctance in his voice. "She has ties to the Witch Cult, of course you assumed as much already. Yet I somehow doubt that a spell that'd bring out the Witch of Envy's smell is within her power."

So he didn't buy it as much as Lelouch assumed he did. Nor was he entirely truthful.

"If anything, if she wanted you dead, she wouldn't do it like this." Roswaal waved his hand towards Lelouch. "You'd be a beacon for mabeasts. Most wind dragon carriages are fast enough that it won't be a problem, but if you were to wander into the forests of my domain, you'd be ripped apart within seconds."

"The smell draws mabeasts?" Lelouch asked. Roswaal nodded. "Even such things as the White Whale?"

"I'm… unsure, a mabeast is a mabeast, no matter how powerful," Roswaal said. "Perhaps the earlier deduction by Russell that the nobles would be hostile towards you was closer to the truth than we think. If the White Whale attacked wherever you are, it'd eventually become a recognizable pattern."

"That is to say, if I survived these attacks," Lelouch said, his lips pressed together in a thin line. "Perhaps my study of magic will eventually help me get rid of the curse myself. I have found something, maybe you know about it."

"What is it?"

"A book," Lelouch said, grabbing the diary from inside his clothes. "Specifically, a diary. It seems that only I can read it-"

"Where did you-"

"I believe Pandora left it for me, for a reason unknown to me, and someone as distinguished and famous as you might have some information for me." Lelouch smiled. "That's what I thought, to say the least."

"But there isn't supposed to be a book," Roswaal said, shaking his head. "Flügel never wrote one. It's not mentioned in… in my ancestor's diary."

"So you know it's his?" Lelouch asked. Roswaal blinked. "I haven't mentioned what's inside it."

"It feels like it," Roswaal said, as if waving his hand and implying that with magic, nobody had to explain anything. "If I had to describe it, I'd say it's the opposite of the Witch's smell. Instead of putrid, it's like a breeze. I know what the Sword Saint's and the Dragon's magic smells like."

Lelouch stopped himself from asking if every magic had a smell. He hadn't thought much about it, and in retrospect, he didn't actually want to know if he couldn't smell the distinction himself.

"Only you can read it? What does it say?" Roswaal asked.

"It's a diary that contains a few spells, but mostly ramblings about Flügel's first few days when he arrived… somewhere. He mentioned a village of elves."

Roswaal looked worried. Concerned? Not for himself, but for someone else?

"Don't mention that in front of Emilia, please," Roswaal demanded. "There's a lot going on, the elves haven't been there for a while, and Emilia has found her way to me due to that."

Concern for Emilia, then. The idea that Roswaal was mostly using Emilia for some political end wasn't off the table, but it seems that he grew concerned with his charge's well-being nonetheless.

"I understand," Lelouch said. "So perhaps this diary isn't by Flügel but by Pandora? Some ploy to fool me?"

He knew that wasn't true, but Roswaal's suspicion of the book didn't help him, so an excuse for its existence needed to be made up.

"Magic to tie a book, or any item, to only one person is rare," Roswaal said, staring at the white covered book. "But if it's her, I'm sure she should be able to."

The last time around, Lelouch hadn't shown Roswaal the book. He had mentioned it, talked to Puck about it, showed it to the spirit of the library. Lelouch doubted he could've gotten Roswaal's defenses down without Pandora's name, though, so it wasn't an entirely wasted effort to hide the book before.

"Do you have a pen and some paper? The spells inside the diary are not very impressive, but I could show you one if you wanted."

Roswaal had the utensils on the table faster than Lelouch could blink, and he picked up the pen, slowly drawing the circle and filling it out with Flügel's symbols. Channeling mana over the symbols, the white glow eventually engraved itself on Lelouch's hand, leaving the paper blank.

Roswaal blinked. "That spell…"

"You know of it," Lelouch said. "From your… ancestor's diaries?"

"Yes, but he never taught it to anyone, eventually he just made a bunch of toys people could recreate with a similar effect. Mirrors to speak to people."

"That's exactly what this does," Lelouch said. This loop, like the ones before, was a lost cause. He didn't have anything of leverage to kill Betelgeuse, unless he could convince Roswaal to do it for him, and that'd mean leaving more information in the hands of a man he didn't trust. "Mandillia. Pandora."

A window appeared. It slowly opened. As if something was trying to stop it, it made the sound of an unoiled door, and for a few seconds, Lelouch expected the spell to just die out. Instead, Pandora's face appeared, looking every bit as confused as Roswaal looked angry.

Angry? That wasn't what Lelouch expected, but still a point to leverage.

"Pandora," Lelouch said. She twitched. He could say her name. "You know who I am, don't you?"

"Lelouch vi Britannia," she said. "Or do you prefer emperor?"

"If that's supposed to surprise me, then you're barking up the wrong tree, witch," Lelouch said, the last word spat out as he felt his temper rise. Roswaal didn't even give him a glance when Pandora casually mentioned a different name. "I have something you want."

"I can see that," she said, looking at the edges of the window. "I've underestimated you. How do you know about me?"

Lelouch lifted the white book up. "Pandora, Witch of Vainglory," Lelouch said, knowing Roswaal wouldn't call him out on using the information he just received and pretending it was from the book. "Leader of the Witch Cult, and for some reason trying to revive the one that nearly destroyed the world. Stop me if I'm wrong. You can create a mirror to a different world, capable of affecting it."

At first, he simply wanted to point out she couldn't attack his world and hope she'd concede the point if he caught her by surprise. But the right kind of information could only be gathered if one showed vulnerability.

"He knew?" Pandora asked, raising one eyebrow. She looked delicate, as if she could break apart at any minute. Just like Elsa before, after getting over the first impression of a strange draw towards her, she became disgusting to look at. "Then you know what I can do to yours."

Roswaal was turning blue. Lelouch turned towards him, blinking. "Are you-"

"He'll not participate in this conversation, nor will he breathe," Pandora said. Lelouch felt a cold shudder move over his spine. She could do that? Simply use the mirror he created to stop Roswaal from breathing? "So unless you want to test how long he can hold his breath, I suggest you get to the point where you say 'I have something you want', and I say 'Bring it to me'."

"No," Lelouch said. Roswaal looked weaker. A feeling of dread approached. Something was coming. Betelgeuse? No. This magic was tangible. "This is the point where I tell you not to touch my home, and if you do, I will destroy you."

She looked amused. As if she wanted to laugh but had forgotten how to. "Then perhaps your sister would be more than willing to help me instead, if she could see her dear brother one last time…"

Lelouch closed the mirror with a swipe of his hand and turned to Roswaal, who began breathing again. When he managed to right himself and look towards the space where the window had been, Roswaal spoke up. "That… please… warn me…"

"I apologize," Lelouch said. "I didn't expect something like that to happen."

"Never underestimate… a witch," Roswaal said. Coughing a bit, Roswaal put his hand on his neck. "She is not going to let this go."

"She isn't," Lelouch said.

"Did you know that I knew?" Roswaal asked. Lelouch gave him a small smile. It meant nothing, but Roswaal assumed it did. The small twitch in his hand, and Roswaal frowned. "I didn't know who you were before, just where you come from. It's a phenomenon described in my ancestor's diaries."

Those diaries are the biggest lie Lelouch heard since he was told his sister died.

"I understand," Lelouch said. "And I'll not mention anything of this if you don't."

Lelouch still had a while before Betelgeuse would attack, and even then, his call to Pandora might have changed the circumstances of that.

"She's might be attacking me," Lelouch said. "Or send someone after me."

Roswaal understood the need for certain secrets, as did Lelouch. Both of them could appreciate the other's discrecy.

"I doubt it will happen at the manor," Roswaal said. "I promise that no harm will come to you if you stay here."

Yeah right. That worked so well the last times. Lelouch just nodded, pocketing the diary again. He had some time to read.

* * *

"She's been happier," Lelouch read. The witch showed herself again when he began reading, but she was hesitant to stop him this time. "Whenever she feels lonely, she can use my spell to call for me."

"Mandillia… Flügel." Lelouch heard a whisper in his ear. Shaking his head, he continued.

"The more magic I learn, the more the world seems to make sense. The only thing that never makes sense to me is women. She found a box recently and hasn't let me see it. When I caught glimpses of it, she got angry."

For some reason, Lelouch felt sorry about something he didn't do. The witch's presence became weaker.

"Lately she's been calling me more and more often," Lelouch read. "To deal with that, I created a spell that'd let me transport myself quickly. It only works for places you consider home. It didn't let me transport myself back to my world."

Lelouch grimaced. A spell like that wouldn't help him. There was no home for him here. Even Reinhard's mansion was at most a temporary place of living, even with the friends he had there.

"I met a woman today," Lelouch continued his readings. "She said she was passing through, and when I saw just how tired she looked, I invited her to stay with us for the night. Satella refused at first, but the woman just went to sleep on her, not letting her stand up. It was too awkward, so I left them alone."

"Sekhmet."

Lelouch blinked when the feeling of affection bubbled up from within him.

The name appeared on the pages as she spoke it.

"Sekhmet is lazy. But she's still crazy strong. She even said that there was a dragon that was annoying her until she met us!"

Lelouch had the feeling he knew what dragon Flügel was talking about.

"Sekhmet is more than just lazy. She's slothful. At least, that's what she prefered to be called. Satella grew attached to her, and Sekhmet also seemed less slothful when Satella was around."

A strong person, slothful?

A witch?

"Sekhmet taught me magic today. The bell of sleep could make anyone fall asleep for weeks. Nobody felt hungry or thirsty, after a week, everyone woke up refreshed. I made her promise me not to use it again unless it was an emergency."

Making everyone sleep for a week with just one spell could spill disaster for a city, a village full of elves probably had less problems with that.

"Sekhmet declared that every day she couldn't fall asleep was an emergency."

The witch inside him laughed.

Lelouch read the information about the revealed spells and memorized them. The transportation spell needed another circle, while Sekhmet's spell needed an incantation that Lelouch couldn't read off the page.

"I am Flügel," the last visible page declared. "And today, I will marry the woman I love. Sekhmet seemed uncharacteristically happy about helping with the preparations."

A bit under it was the next line, and the rest of the page was blank: "A dragon interrupted the wedding in the elven village. Sekhmet left, grabbing him by the wings and throwing him over the borders to another kingdom. Satella wasn't happy."

Lelouch frowned.

He might have to keep reading to find something useful, but… the diary didn't give him more. Somehow, Lelouch felt like pouting. Satella's emotions bled over while he held the diary, so Lelouch put it down, clearing his head.

At least he got something out of it today. The name of sloth, and he would have to fight its archbishop.


	14. The Man They Called Flügel

**Chapter 14: The Man They Called Flügel**

* * *

Lelouch did not hesitate to pump his body full of Yang mana, uttering the spell to strengthen his body thrice in succession, using the Al-syllable to force a stronger effect. His Gate felt like it would crack. So was his mind.

Despite the time he had to calm down, calm was anything but definitely not what he was feeling. The sheer fury that coursed through his body could only be contained for a short time. A mask, the doting and melancholic brother drowned in nostalgia. The fact that he was able to speak at least slightly more about his curse to Roswaal and Emilia, perhaps due to the diary's effect, was shoved aside into a compartment and thrown into the deepest pits of his mind.

When his eye caught Rem sneaking near him as he kept using magic, no doubt exaggerating the effect of the Witch's Smell, he didn't stop. At least that meant she was alive, which would be a help if Betelgeuse was already in his room. The change from calling Pandora might lead to circumstances in which he had to take his own life again. He couldn't keep Pandora and Roswaal in the loop to the point where the information he had became corrupted from his own mistakes.

There was no way he would win right now. The sheer amount of hands that the Archbishop was able to create would be able to block anything Lelouch was capable of right now except perhaps the spell of Sloth that he wasn't able to cast. Even then, the Archbishop might be immune to the power of his authorities' origin.

What Lelouch needed was a weakness. The man was stark raving mad, which was a point Lelouch could attack. Mentions of the witch, references to the gospel, perhaps even the Witch of Sloth's name. If Flügel had created a spell that sealed the Witch of Envy, then perhaps that spell was in the diary, capable of halting the authority of Sloth.

Opening the door, Lelouch grabbed the sword that Felt had given him from beside the door and took a quick step forward. The sudden surge of his magically enhanced body allowed him to reach about half of the room before the figure turned around.

Only it wasn't Betelgeuse standing there. Dressed in the same robes, holding the same manic stare in her eyes, it was a young woman. In her hands was the gospel, the same one, Lelouch could tell, and arms growing out of her back.

But Lelouch didn't hesitate despite the change of face. He swung the sword as well as he could, untrained in any form, and managed to cut through three of the arms before the other three grabbed him, smashing him into the bed, almost snapping his spine in the process. Unfortunately, the female Archbishop did not decide to be as gentle as Clarissa Barielle and instead opted in on treating him like the young noble's father did.

The Yang magic slowly left his body, the strain of keeping him stronger and more durable came with the backlash of keeping too much mana to function properly afterwards. Rem's flail came through the door, slamming into a wall of hands that stopped it.

"How cowardly," the young woman's voice echoed through the suddenly quiet room. "To attack me from behind as I was about to introduce myself! Ah… how slothful, truly."

Lelouch grit his teeth, the hands lifting him off the bed, the sword falling from his hands as his body slackened. "I don't believe an introduction is necessary, Archbishop."

"Oho? You know who I am? Truly? It is an honor! An honor, to meet someone so utterly loved! Ahhh, the smell, it pierces my nose and it lets my brain tremble!"

The dark hands gathered around the entire room, keeping Rem from entering. The chain on her flail was cut, and the steel ball fell down. The Archbishop was bending her back, holding her head until she touched the window she stood in front of. Lelouch grimaced.

"Indeed," Lelouch said. "A love like no other."

The words left his mouth as if he was spitting out poison, yet the Archbishop's grip lessened. The unseen hands dragging Lelouch towards her. The Archbishop began to sniff on him. Lelouch felt uncomfortable.

"So much love," she whispered. "But there is that stench that won't go. A disgusting, nasty little thing, attached so closely. Ahhhh, rejector of love, have you finally accepted her into your heart? Have you finally decided to love her as much as she does you?"

"Yes," Lelouch said curtly. If he could stab her in the back, it would solve a lot of his problems. He could arrange the same situation without alerting Roswaal or Rem, or share any details about his curse with Emilia and Russell. "I've been waiting for you, Archbishop. Excuse my earlier attack, I had to check if you really had it."

"Had what?" the crazed lady asked.

"The gospel, the authority," Lelouch said. "Pretenders have been going around-"

"Ah! I see, I see! The gospel, of course!"

The gospel was on eye level with Lelouch now as the Archbishop slowly let him down. Through the hands were still holding him tightly, he was standing on his own feet now. Were all Archbishops this high strung?

"Let me introduce myself!" the Archbishop shouted. "I am the Archbishop of Sloth! Betelgeuse Romani-Conti!"

Lelouch grimaced. That made no sense. Betelgeuse was a pale and insane man whose eyes were almost falling out of their sockets, not a woman who looked barely twenty years old with red hair flowing down to her shoulders. Lelouch needed to know why.

"Wasn't the Archbishop Betelgeuse a man?" Lelouch asked.

"Ah, of course, I had expected you to know considering you met that treacherous Roswaal," Betelgeuse said, her lips twitching into a snarl. "Some of our group have the ability to transfer their memories into a suitable host. After my head was slapped off, I was forced to take another. The Pontiff was very angry today. Very angry indeed."

Pontiff? Perhaps Pandora.

"Roswaal has done the same?" Lelouch asked, feeling rather disturbed by the revelation. The man seemed to have an agenda, of course, but then again, everyone did. The fact that he had an ability that Betelgeuse seems to consider Witch Cult exclusive made his sponsorship of Emilia look… different, in hindsight.

"Every Roswaal has been Roswaal," Betelgeuse said, being very, very open with Lelouch. The amount of stench gathered around him from his earlier fury must've removed any kind of common sense from the Archbishop's mind. Lelouch reworked his plans. Roswaal mustn't ever learn of anything involving himself.

"Then perhaps we should pay that traitor a visit?" Lelouch asked. "Make him pay?"

"What a marvelous plan!" Betelgeuse shouted. "But I mustn't! I was to be quick! The Pontiff threatened me with another death should I not hurry-"

The room suddenly changed. Instead of the guest room, Lelouch felt as if he was being thrown around and suddenly stood in the middle of the library, the arms still around him as the Archbishop turned around, staring at Roswaal, Beatrice, Rem, Ram and Emilia. Puck was not there.

Rem had a horn sprouting out of her forehead.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, I don't know how he came through my defenses," Roswaal said to Lelouch. Lelouch's eyebrows twitched. He. Not her. Roswaal knew? Perhaps he wanted Lelouch to know, or it was a slip of the tongue. Lelouch didn't care, and instead muttered a spell again, strengthening his body. He was feeling weak already, but the magic allowed him to break free of the loosened restraints and grabbed the gospel from the surprised Archbishop's hand. Taking a step back, he made a dagger and held it over the book.

"What? What?! WHAT?! But how how how how how-"

The woman's rantings were cut off when a fireball nearly took her head. The hands appeared around him and threw it off course. Beatrice snuffed the flame out with a flick of her wirst.

"I don't want to help you," Beatrice said, looking at Lelouch. The former emperor looked pale, sweating, out of breath from the repeated use of magic that was above his level. "I'm doing it because Puck asked me to, I suppose."

So Puck, despite his obvious hostility, asked Beatrice to help him out in case he needed it? Lelouch might just go buy him a bunch of cookies for that next loop. First, he had to test something out.

"If I see one more hand coming from you," Lelouch said. "I will destroy your gospel."

The woman's eyes widened, a look of disgust and fury mixing on her face. "You deceitful monster! Liar-"

"Shut up," Lelouch said. "I want to know something. Answer me, and you can have it back."

"Lelouch!" Roswaal shouted, sounding confused.

"Why does Pandora want Flügel's diary? To free the witch?"

The woman's face turned into an unhealthy shade of purple, and Lelouch slowly brought the dagger closer to the book. Nobody was moving, not even Roswaal.

Betelgeuse looked ready to talk. Lelouch could see it in her eyes, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. But rather than words, all that came out of her was blood. The red liquid ran down her eyes and nose, then a stream of it came from her mouth, reaching the carpet, staining it into a shade of dark red.

Then her head flew off. Lelouch snapped, throwing the gospel onto the ground and throwing the dagger after it, piercing the pages of the book. Roswaal stared at him.

"How did you do that?" Roswaal asked.

"Did… what?" Lelouch countered, grabbing his chest as the exhaustion became too much on his body.

"Destroy a gospel," Roswaal said, sounding twice as crazed as he had back when Lelouch mentioned Pandora's name. "They can't just be destroyed, they must be purified first by- of course. You're him, aren't you?"

"I am _who?_ " Lelouch asked through grit teeth.

"They called you Emperor, of course you'd be one!" Roswaal shouted. "Of course, the man they called Flügel would be an emperor in another world before returning!"

"Shut up," Lelouch said, grabbing the dagger from the book. Emilia stared at him, concern in her eyes, but Rem and Ram looked at him as if he was a threat while Beatrice looked more than bored with the entire situation. "I don't care what you or Crusch Karsten think. I don't care if there's some magic diary that tries to tell me the story of people I have no relation to."

Lelouch felt angry with himself. His weakness. The fact that he was unable to take care of a problem without being saved by a man that apparently has been taking over the bodies of his descendants for four-hundred years. Furthermore, he felt angry that he was no step closer to destroying the Witch Cult. The head exploding here just meant that Betelgeuse would find a new body.

"The only thing I care about is my sister, because that's the kind of person I am," Lelouch muttered, glaring at the headless body on the ground. "Not an emperor or a prince, not a revolutionary."

He raised the dagger and stabbed himself in the chest, leaving a hole as the mana dissipated and vanished the dagger. He didn't even hear the cries of shock over the plans that his mind was going over. That was the kind of person Lelouch Lamperouge is. Someone who would destroy the world for his sister. Someone who would destroy the world to keep the people he loves safe. Kallen and C.C. would probably break him to stop him from doing something this stupid all the time.

* * *

Lelouch stumbled into the dining room with a schooled smile on his face. When Rem stormed in, no doubt alarmed about the stench that came from his ever worsening mood, Lelouch dodged by rolling forward, and Roswaal, seeing that his guest was not in danger did not block the flail that went by him by mere centimeters.

"Rem!" Roswaal shouted. The girl was returning her flail with her chain, still glaring at Lelouch who sat down on a seat rather than turn to her. "Stand down, now!"

"But-"

"Not buts!" Roswaal interrupted her. "Follow my orders or leave my mansion!"

"Please," Lelouch interrupted. "There's no need to worry. I'm sure I know what this is about."

Roswaal turned to Lelouch, confused yet intrigued. Rem looked confused too, yet without letting the hostile glare slip one bit. The dining hall was quiet for a moment before Ram came in, looking at her sister as she trained an arm towards Lelouch. The former emperor had the best fake smile on his face since he pretended to enjoy playing dress up with Millie.

"It seems I've been marked for hunt by the Witch Cult," Lelouch lied, giving no indication of worry. "The mabeasts were only stopped by the magic that surrounded your domain, I assume, but they seem to have an incredible appetite for me."

Roswaal didn't look convinced, neither did Rem.

"I suppose that makes sense about why the smell is all around you," Roswaal said, lying as well. "Have you run in with any of them?"

"Yes, a rather nasty woman," Lelouch admitted. "I don't know her name, but the Archbishop that was with her called her Pontiff."

"Pontiff?" Roswaal asked. "Nasty?"

He seemed more confused that those two terms would go together. A small grin made Lelouch feel as if his impression just improved in Roswaal's eyes.

Lelouch wanted to 'win' this loop. He had the information he needed, a weakness in the Archbishop's presence. If it was the gospel that allowed them to use the authority, then destroying it might make them weaker. It might not prevent them from taking over another body when they die, but from Betelgeuse's own admission, not everyone was capable of that anyway.

The Witch had perhaps her own gospel that could make someone an Archbishop of Vainglory should she die. He would have to find out more about that.

Right now he needed Roswaal as an ally. Someone who knew more about the Witch Cult than they let on, and someone who had the knowledge of Flügel if he had been living for the past four-hundred years.

Roswaal's sponsorship made the situation difficult. What had he to gain from Emilia? If he was no longer a member of the Witch Cult, then that meant he wouldn't worry about reviving the Witch of Envy anymore. Perhaps it's to protect Emilia?

Lelouch was still unclear on Emilia's role in the Witch Cult's plans, another mystery to solve later.

Raising his hands in a placating gesture, attempting to diffuse the situation, Lelouch spoke up again.

"Perhaps it would be better to discuss this at dinner, if your maids would be willing to join us," Lelouch said. Roswaal nodded curtly. Lelouch's smile turned into a grin. Hook.

* * *

When Emilia was seated and Puck began glaring at Lelouch, the situation at the table was still tense. A few minutes later, Russell joined them, sitting down across the half-elf, who was sitting two chairs to the right from Lelouch. Ram and Rem stood behind Roswaal, who was seated at the head of the table.

"Ah, Russell Fellow, I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Lelouch said. Roswaal was whispering with Emilia, trying to get her to calm down, while Puck was still keeping a critical eye on the one that smelled like the Witch of Envy.

"About what? And please, just call me Russell, I've heard quite some stories about you in the capital," Russell offered. Lelouch nodded.

"Then please call me Lelouch," he said. "You're without a doubt aware that I'm rather interested in the study of magic, and have thus gathered a small collection of books that would help me with it. Due to my affinity, I've been unable to find some of the more esoteric books."

"Yang, of course, a rare one," Russell said. Roswaal turned to them, being done with Emilia.

"If you were willing to negotiate with our resident librarian, you might get some books out of her," Roswaal suggested jokingly. From what Lelouch knew of Beatrice, it was doubtful he would be able to get anything out of her if he didn't use Puck somehow. Lelouch shook his head at the margrave.

"Perhaps another time," Lelouch said, turning back to Russell. "I've been lucky enough to come into the possession of a rather peculiar book, a white diary that was hard to translate."

"You wish to translate it and bring it to the market?" Russell asked. Roswaal didn't know the diary existed, so he was confused. At least Puck's suspicious glare became a rather meager glower when Lelouch made it clear that wasn't a gospel.

"No, the spells inside it are rather… peculiar. Not all can be used, and those that can might be too dangerous in the wrong hands. But there is a rather interesting spell that might be of use to you and everyone in Lugnica."

"What spell would that be?" Russell asked, leaning forward on the table. The food was getting cold. Only Puck was eating.

"Something that helps everyone?" Emilia asked, sounding excited about the prospect.

"It's a communication spell, similar to the metia I've heard about. I believe it should be enough to contact people in the capital even from here."

"The… Madillia spell?" Roswaal asked. Lelouch's grin widened. Line.

"Oh, you know about it?" Lelouch asked.

"It's been mentioned in the diaries of my ancestors," Roswaal lied. Lelouch now knew that he was aware of it because he lived during the time of its creation. "It's a spell that the metia were built upon, nobody knows how to use it themselves! Even the metia don't have the sheer range of it-"

"So such a spell would be expensive," Emilia muttered. Lelouch glanced towards her, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't want to rob the people on the streets with a spell that could save lives," Lelouch said. "Imagine the ability to call upon the guards and knights of Lugnica whenever a crime is witnessed, or perhaps the ability to speak with relatives who are too far. I feel like a spell like this should be public property. I also believe that a spell like that would allow efforts against the Witch Cult to be very successful."

"Of- of course," Russell said, excitedly. Roswaal stared at Lelouch as if trying to figure him out, and failing. "The profits that could be made just by _using_ the spell rather than selling it! It would save the knights' yearly budget for communication metia by one-hundred percent!"

Lelouch imagined the people that produced communication metias would be less that happy, but from what he could gather, they were mostly imported, which means that there were barely any taxes from their sales going into the treasury of Lugnica, nor any discounts for the knights.

"Money that could be used to train more soldiers and equip them, I imagine," Lelouch said. Emilia looked happy. Puck smiled. Lelouch felt weird pretending that he was doing something good for goodness' sake. "And that is why I was marked for the hunt, I assume."

"What?" Puck asked.

"The Witch Cult is worried," Lelouch lied. "I don't know how they learned of it, someone in the capital must have heard me talk about it and reported to them."

"So the smell of the Witch around you is marking you as a target?" Puck asked. Emilia looked confused, while Russell looked more worried that his gold mine might be killed. "It doesn't sound like their usual methods."

"Perhaps so, you could go and ask Lady Karsten if she noticed the smell on me before I left from the capital. It seems to have appeared after I met a woman-"

"It might be better if we don't talk about certain things here," Roswaal interrupted. Lelouch shrugged, smiling apologetically before glancing at the maids. Ram looked convinced, Rem didn't. Roswaal knew he was lying but couldn't call him out on it without drawing suspicion to himself. And if he dared, Lelouch could threaten him with the knowledge of his body-snatching.

"Of course, public knowledge of such a spell might end up with more organized criminals as well," Lelouch said. "Which is why I would like to suggest a more limited approach to spreading the spell. Giving it to people who have been throughly checked of any ties to the Witch Cult, past or present. Of course, only people capable of magic would be able to use that spell."

"And the Witch Cult has many trained mages…" Russell muttered. "Then perhaps only the knights?"

"That would defeat the purpose of giving the common citizens means to help. So how about you instead hand out the metia that are in possession of the knights to the common folk? They are paid for and of no use."

"And you would get nothing?" Russell asked. Lelouch nodded.

"Nothing but the appreciation of the people and perhaps the knights," Lelouch said. A sign of weakness - care about what others think of him. It would make him seem more human in the eyes of someone as shrewd as Russell, and perhaps less dangerous in the eyes of the ancient spirit known as Puck.

"Of course, the Witch Cult is probably trying to prevent me from doing that, and I would rather not give you the details of the spell unless we're within the castle walls, discussing this with the elder council."

"You want me to handle the in between before you swoop in and take the fame, eh?" Russell asked, smiling. Lelouch smiled back.

"I assumed we would share it, an agreement between 'the Golden' and the treasury of the crown."

"That sounds wonderful," Emilia said, clapping her hands together. "So many people could be helped with that magic!"

"Of course, it's why I'm doing it," Lelouch admitted freely. Step by step to keep the people in his world safe. To keep his sister safe. "Of course, I'm worried that I might be attacked soon-"

"Don't worry about such things, my mansion is the safest place you could be in my domain," Roswaal said. Lelouch wanted to scoff, but stopped himself. "If you'd prefer to continue our conversations after eating, please come to my study. Right now, it seems that the lady and her spirit wish to talk to you."

"What? Ah!" Emilia made a noise in surprise. "Yes, Sir Lamperouge, I wanted to thank you for saving my life!"

"Please call me Lelouch," Lelouch said. That was all he had to do right now. Keep Roswaal on his side by making Emilia his friend, and have a friend in the castle by getting into Russell's good graces. "I'd prefer if we could consider each other friends, as I do with Lady Felt."

If he couldn't show neutrality by simply removing himself from the selection as a whole, then he would have to do what Crusch Karsten would. By being friends with everyone, he couldn't favor anyone. Of course, such a thing was in a more precarious balance than keeping a distance, but it also meant he could gain more from it.

Such as support in hunting down the Witch Cult, snuffing them out one by one. If he planned to do something like that, there was no doubt that he needed someone like Crusch Karsten to support such an agenda. While he didn't know what kind of person Anastasia Hoshin was, Lelouch assumed that she was similar to Russell from the way she has been described.

The only person Lelouch couldn't see himself get along with was Priscilla.

She was just too similar to his brothers.

Lelouch wasn't a fan of the feeling of approval that came from the Witch that took interest in him. Or maybe it was a feeling of jealousy. For some reason, he couldn't tell the difference.

* * *

Lelouch didn't wave off the favors that Emilia and Puck wanted to give him, instead saying that if he ever needs them, he would contact them. Right after eating, Lelouch went to read.

The pages after Sekhmet left were still blank, which meant that there was some kind of trigger he didn't know to reveal more pages. Nothing that would help him destroy the gospel without repeating the earlier steps of earning his trust and wait until Beatrice would transport them. Lelouch wanted to take care of that problem himself, however. Roswaal mustn't see everything.

Being desperate didn't reveal the pages. Feigning friendliness didn't. The Witch felt calmer when hearing the stories of the diary, so if Flügel and her had actually been husband and wife, and she was eventually sealed by him, the Dragon and the Sword Saint, she might become angry the further the book goes on.

What made her like that?

It was a stray thought, yet Lelouch felt he had to ask. The book didn't budge. No, perhaps she's always had a jealous streak. Perhaps the Witch of Sloth had always been incredibly lazy. There was something else.

Lelouch flipped through the pages until he found it.

The box. The box that she wouldn't show Flügel. He respectfully didn't ask about it, didn't continue to write about it. Something about the box-

The pages moved. Near the end of the diary, writing appeared.

"I've learned a trick from a really greedy woman," Flügel wrote. "It's awkward to use, and it cost me all my books, but I had nothing else to offer and I knew them all by heart. There are two ways for the soul to live on after death."

Lelouch wasn't sure how that related to the box, but if Roswaal's trick was here, or perhaps information about his own ability, then it could prove beneficial.

"The first way is to become a spirit," Lelouch read aloud. "The second is to let someone inherit your genes. If skilled enough, one may attempt to do both."

Genes? DNA? A soul bound to something physical, perhaps. While Lelouch wasn't religious, the concept of the soul by atheist and theist philosophists has been discussed in great length, and Lelouch read all about it. If these 'genes' in this case were the manifestation of someone's soul that didn't become a spirit, then they could be inherited like normal genes with children.

Besides that description, nothing was revealed. No spell, no information. The pages flipped back, revealing a page after Sekhmet left.

"Satella has been using magic," Flügel wrote. "I don't know why, but it feels wrong. Similar to Sekhmet's magic, it's strong, but compared to the lazy woman, Satella can't control it. It's worked on something that might hold the magic for a while, it only works for a few seconds. I might be able to seal more of it with practice."

It couldn't be that easy, of course not. Flügel's magic was as varied in application as it was in adverse effects. If he could stop the hands for just a few seconds and steal the gospel, that would help immensely.

"The only disadvantage was that it stopped me from using magic as long as I held it on her," Flügel said. "I keep telling her to stop practicing, but she won't. Whenever I come back home, I find destroyed items left and right, tainted by her magic."

Satella was quiet. Too quiet.

The feeling of accomplishment. Or jealousy. Or happiness. Or envy. Or love. Or bitterness.

The pages in front of Lelouch flickered, giving him another magical circle. The hands of the witch squeezed his chest and reached out to touch the book. It began to burn.

Lelouch acted quickly, creating a dagger and stabbing himself. It took a while for him to bleed out as his blood flowed weakly from the witch's grip.

* * *

When Lelouch opened eyes, he was standing in the guest room, a burning book in hand.

The Witch was laughing like a playful child that got the attention of its parent by being naughty. Lelouch quickly put the fire out, but a lot of the pages towards the end were burned, but not the page with the circle that could stop Witch magic for a few seconds.

The incantation was long. Lelouch began to memorize the strange syllables. The Witch didn't want him to read it before, but hadn't burned it. Whatever was in the last pages was something she didn't want him to learn. Something that might relate to his ability to return by dying.

Lelouch created the circle for the Mandillia spell and the suppression one, branding them over his arm. The Witch just became a foil in his plans. Someone that would easily move his point of return forward as she liked. He would have to be more careful now.


	15. The One The Witch Loved Most

**Chapter 15: The One The Witch Loved Most**

* * *

Lelouch grimaced. He didn't mind the point of return being moved forward, there was nothing he could do about it and it would prevent the draining situation of presenting himself as a paragon of virtue to Emilia and Russell. The burned out pages from the diary worried him more. Incapable of extinguishing the flames in time, he was left with the knowledge that the witch could make his life harder still.

As many advantages as this power had, and as sure as he was about the witch not putting him into a situation where death was inevitable, it came with the uncertainty of a fuckup he might not be able to correct. Furthermore, it seemed that the spell that was described by Flügel had more limitations than he first thought.

Attempts to cast the spell on himself didn't allow Lelouch to stop the Witch access to him. Instead, it irritated her more, squeezing his heart harder for as long as the spell held. Exactly one point three seconds. She didn't let go for minutes afterward.

This either meant that whatever was ailing him wasn't the Witch of Envy's magic, or she had exceeded the power of the spell, which meant that someone like Pandora could resist it all the same. The incantation took him a while to get down, but it should be easy enough to cast if he wasn't going to be thrown around like a ragdoll.

If the spell didn't work on the Archbishop, it would be back to the burning book, and Lelouch already had enough of the smell of burning.

Weirdly enough, casting the suppression spell did not make Rem's footsteps appear near his room. Either the spell didn't let the Witch's smell spread during his magic casting, or the maid had explicit orders not to shadow him after his display at the dinner table. Lelouch put those thoughts aside and stepped out of the guest room, wiping the sweat from his brow. The humongous decorated hallway with huge windows was becoming a tiring sight. Instead, he stared out of them towards the gardens, where Emilia and Puck were speaking.

* * *

Lelouch barely heard his name over the rustling of leaves that echoed through the garden as a soft breeze blew through the trees. When he came closer, Puck turned to him, and the conversation that was still going on since before Lelouch made his way from his guest room to the gardens came to an end.

"Hello," Lelouch greeted. Emilia smiled at him. It was almost strange how someone so irrelevant to the proceedings of the last few days and loops, and so weirdly naive of the workings of the world, was someone that could be of relation to the witch. If Lelouch had to describe her in the terms of old Britannian plays, she would be a side-role in a play in which all the other royal candidates were the leads.

Compared to the lost princess Felt and the nobles, even compared to the young genius that apparently took over an entire trading empire, Emilia was plain, except for her looks. Lelouch knew better than to underestimate people based on their looks, however.

She had the support of a great spirit. Something that could manifest physically and that was capable of great magic. Something that made her capable of great magic. She was strong, there was no doubt about it, but she might not have the strength to rule.

"Lelouch," Emilia said, smiling. "Is everything alright?"

Lelouch smiled back, feeling the feeling of envy and happiness that came from the witch bleed into his system. It did make the role he worked on playing easier. Letting it consume him was out of the question, but he did not snuff it out like last time. Instead, he focused it, giving a small bow to the candidate.

"Of course," Lelouch said. "I was merely curious about something and thought about asking you the same question I asked Crusch Karsten."

"A question?" Emilia asked. Puck was less suspicious, if anything, due to Emilia's rather quick trust of Lelouch, he seemed to have mellowed out and instead floated towards the former emperor.

"It's not for her hand, is it?" Puck asked, grabbing Lelouch's cheeks. Lelouch's eyebrows twitched and he grabbed the spirit before pushing him away from his face.

"I'd be more worried if there were any rumors going around about me and Crusch Karsten," Lelouch said. She didn't sound like the kind of person who'd like such rumors go unchallenged when hearing them, and would try to present him as someone she had no interest in marrying.

It might actually put him in a bad spot with some of the nobles. Being desired helped.

"What is it, then?" Puck asked. Emilia pouted.

"Puck, don't tease him," Emilia chided the spirit. Puck just laughed, floating back towards her while lying on his back. "There's something you want to know, about the election perhaps?"

"Yes," Lelouch said, nodding. The silver-haired young woman nodded, her hair bobbing slightly with her head. "I already have an idea of what kind of person Priscilla Barielle is. I have met Crusch Karsten and know what kind of person she is. While I haven't met Anastasia Hoshin, I can guess what drives someone like her. But I don't know anything about you."

"About me?"

"What kind of ruler do you want to be?"

"I want to a fair one," Emilia said. Lelouch stopped for a moment. Her answer came without hesitation, without a second thought. The kind of conviction that he thought was lacking flared up in her eyes, just as it did in Crusch's when she declared that she would end the covenant with the Dragon. "I want to bring equality to Lugnica."

"Equality?" Lelouch asked, confused. Emilia nodded again, more forceful than before. Puck, strangely silent for once, floated above her, his face neutral.

"A place where every citizen has equal rights, no matter their race. Even today, thousands of demi-humans are treated as second-class citizens in places outside the capital. The nobles keep their eyes and ears shut in their domains. Many still hold prejudices after the demi-human war all those years ago-"

Lelouch raised his hand, stopping her before she could go on. This was… unexpected. Very much so. Felt participated because she hated the nobility and wanted to help the poor, despite her assurances that she was mostly helping herself to their wealth. Crusch wanted a strong kingdom.

"It seems I've underestimated you, Lady Emilia," Lelouch said, dropping into a formal tone. Puck's glare turned frigid, while Emilia simply stared at him, confused. "I've wondered what made each person eligible for the throne. Lady Felt, Lady Karsten, and Lady Barielle are all related to the royal family if I recall it correctly. Anastasia Hoshin is someone who seems to have a grasp on ruling, but you were… an unknown."

"You think I have what it takes to be a ruler?" Emilia asked.

"I believe your lack of the features that the other candidates have is what makes you fitting," Lelouch said. Emilia looked more confused, while the spirit above her looked insulted in her stead. Quick to stop any misunderstandings from happening, Lelouch waved his hand, speaking up quickly. "You're a normal young woman."

"You think I'm… normal?" Emilia asked him. Lelouch nodded. Besides pointy ears, what set her apart from others? A spirit? Lelouch knew that others had spirits too. Being a half-elf who looked like a witch? If looks decided who someone was, he'd probably carve his face off.

A smile appeared on Emilia's face, with a soft reddening of her cheeks.

"Yes," Lelouch said. He didn't understand why exactly she felt this happy, he understood the need to be treated as normal when everyone was claiming you were anything but. Yet her happiness seemed to stem from something else. "Someone that didn't have the experiences of being nobility, or the experiences of being poor. Someone who didn't even have the experiences of working to become the head of a company like Hoshin."

He didn't know Anastasia's circumstances, but he knew that the Hoshin company was not inherited by the owner's children. Which meant that someone like her had to work herself up to the position she was in. And here was Emilia, someone who didn't struggle like Felt or Anastasia did, someone who wasn't raised with expectations like Priscilla and Crusch.

Someone who was so plain, as far as he knew, that she would be both an ideal and horrible ruler. Someone who could be manipulated by people like Roswaal L. Mathers and lead the country into success or ruin based on that, rather than make her own decisions.

"You have to learn how to stand up for yourself," Lelouch said. "Roswaal is a kind man to sponsor someone that people don't trust, but I feel like unless you step out of his shadow, you won't have a chance in the election."

"You have a big mouth, Lelouch," Puck said. Emilia's mood took a downturn at his last sentence. Lelouch wasn't looking to encourage her. He wanted to learn about her. The things she gets stuck on, the weaknesses in her iron will to become a ruler. And once again, she surprised him.

"I will become queen," Emilia said. "And I will obtain my dream. Not just for the people of Lugnica, but for all the people that helped me here. For all the people that I've left behind."

There was no way someone like Roswaal shared the same ideology.

"You're not that different to Lady Karsten," Lelouch said before looking up, grinning at the spirit above Emilia's head. "And you seem like a good judge of character, Puck."

"Is that an offer to join Lia's conquest of the kingdom?" Puck asked, his voice thick with pride. Lelouch chuckled, shaking his head.

"I've decided to be neutral in the election due to a few circumstances in the capital," Lelouch said. "But instead of making it my goal to stay away from all the candidates, I'd prefer to know all of them. If these are the queens of the kingdom I made my home, it'd be nice to be friendly with them."

"That's surprisingly shrewd," Puck said. Emilia nodded twice. "So that's your idea of who Lia is? A plain, normal girl?"

"Someone who has a plan and the conviction to go through with it," Lelouch corrected. "For better or for worse. The fact that she's normal is perhaps the thing that makes her the candidate without much of an agenda."

Even Felt's idea of what the kingdom could be was not looking for equality. For someone who grew up an urchin, all the poor people, demi-human or human, are equal. For people who grew up in the capital, the insight of inequality doesn't exist. For a foreigner, the exact circumstances of everyone in the kingdom you could possibly inherit weren't as important as the power you were getting.

"Crusch Karsten seems to be under the impression that my voice is going to be relevant in the election, and I feel that the magic I am offering the knights might give me such a position of power," Lelouch said.

"Wasn't that your plan?" Emilia asked. "Puck seemed to think so."

Lelouch laughed it off when Puck floated in front of Emilia's face and waved his arms around in an attempt to stop her. At least one point of the earlier discussion was revealed. So perhaps the talk they had earlier wasn't nearly as dangerous to his plans as he thought.

He had something to use against her now, though.

"I'm unsure of my place here," Lelouch explained. Emilia's stare was intense. "I have no place to return to, no family left. The first place I thought about calling home was Reinhard's mansion until Crusch Karsten asked me to remain neutral. I've decided to move out then, keep away from Lady Felt."

"But that's not right!" Emilia said. "If you have no place to return to, you should find a place to call home! Nobody has the right to kick you out-"

"They didn't kick me out, I decided to leave," Lelouch said, smiling softly. He thinks he got the melancholic expression down, but he wasn't sure. Emilia took the explanation personal, something she was familiar with somehow. A glimpse of her past.

"No family and no home, and Crusch Karsten made you leave your home, that's not just a decision you made, it was made for you-"

"If I really wanted, I could've stayed," Lelouch said, cutting her off. "There are some circumstances you might not be aware of. Suspicions on the side of Lady Karsten that Russell might have told the margrave."

"It still isn't right," Emilia shouted, stomping her foot. Lelouch felt kinda bad about making someone this upset for his sake. He already said his goodbyes, to his family and friends back home, and to Reinhard and Felt when he left the mansion.

It's not like he is never going to see the latter two again anyway. He was just moving out, not moving into another world.

"While I appreciate that you feel bad for me, I assure you, it's not as bad as it sounds," Lelouch said. She was red in the face, and Puck didn't look happy that Lelouch made her angry, even if that anger wasn't actually directed at him. "I'm trying to make a home of this kingdom. It's why I try to be friendly with everyone, not just the candidates. It just so happened that I ended up living with the Sword Saint's family by chance."

"It does sound rather random, yeah," Puck said, crossing his arms. "I never know if you're genuine or just a really good liar, but I don't think you're lying when you say you have no place to return to."

The spirit was attentive and shrewd. The first meeting Lelouch had with Emilia, in which both of them were kind enough to help him, felt as if it was in a distant past. It never happened, and the good start he had with them that loop was gone.

Maybe the irreparable damage that he feared was already done, in a way. A minor detail, but the first Puck and Emilia he met were gone.

Just gone.

"How long will you be staying?" Emilia asked. Lelouch couldn't recall if he ever decided on that. It was likely he would stay until Russell left, to finish the deal in the capital.

"Until Sir Fellow decides to return to the capital." Lelouch put one fist on his hip, nodding. "I think it should be tomorrow morning."

Today night, he'd kill a cultist.

"We'll come with you," Emilia decided. "Roswaal said that the sages will soon call the candidates, it wouldn't matter if we're there earlier."

Lelouch tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing Emilia. "Why that?"

"To protect you!" Emilia decided. Lelouch blinked. "The Witch Cult is dangerous, Puck and I can take care of them, and Roswaal will come with us as well!"

Lelouch hadn't considered the possibility of an attack on the road until now. And somehow, he had the feeling that the likelihood might actually increase with Emilia there.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I wouldn't want to be a burden on you," Lelouch said. "My fights are-"

"If I'm to become ruler, the fights of my citizens will become my fights as well," Emila said, steel entering her voice again. Lelouch's smile slid off his face, and he turned a critical eye towards Puck.

"I can see why you have chosen her as your contractor," Lelouch said. Puck gave him a toothy grin.

"You know nothing," the spirit countered.

* * *

The sun was going down slowly. Lelouch kept an eye on Rem. If he was able to time the situation just right, he could try to disable Betelgeuse's magic in the right moment before Rem's flail crushed him into a pulp. If not, he would have to do the deed himself.

Having prepared Felt's gift leaning against the wall next to the door to the guest room, Lelouch had thought about every possible approach. Unfortunately, the sheer amount of hands Betelgeuse could create made it an effort in futility. Instead, Lelouch had to depend on the man letting his guard down by speaking with him should Rem fail.

While Lelouch was confident in it, and he had multiple tries even if he failed if Satella didn't decide to play a prank on him again, the approach of talking with the insane Archbishop meant a smaller window of time depending on how quickly the others would be alerted. Lelouch wanted to destroy the gospel so Roswaal didn't know he could do it.

Lelouch didn't know where the man's loyalties lie, but the margrave was surely not working towards the best interests of his kingdom. Unless the manipulative jester was somehow manipulated himself by the naive half-elf, there was no way Lelouch could trust him.

Nor could he risk any information of this leaking to Crusch Karsten. The candidate was already suspicious enough, and creating a situation in which Reinhard's idea of her trying to get closer after Lelouch declined when she tried to buy him would turn into reality.

Eventually, walking from door to door, Lelouch came upon Rem, who was not nearly as aggressive as before in her glare towards him. At least his theory of Rem not stalking him to find any signs of wrongdoing was right. Which also meant that he had to provoke her to follow him.

"Ah," Lelouch said. "Excuse me, I was exploring and got a bit lost. Could you point me towards the guest rooms?"

Rem didn't look convinced. She never did. But that was alright with Lelouch. Sighing, the girl jumped took the lead as she stepped out of the room, helping him find his room. He followed diligently.

When they came closer, Lelouch began muttering. Rather than turn to him, she was growing tense as they closed in on the guest room. Betelgeuse was inside, and the stench of the witch emanated through the hallway. Before Lelouch could blink, Rem was armed, pulling the flail from wherever she kept it.

"Zimerian, Balamuuth, Thearis, Vasilia, Alahum, Yaumiddi, Aiyaka," Lelouch turned his hand towards the door. Rem smashed it in. "Ihidinn, Mustekiin, Ya'min."

The witch squeezed his heart, even as he aimed the spell at the Archbishop that was revealed. The arms appeared, flickered, vanished. The flail hit him in the arm, taking it off, but not taking his life.

A second later, three hands smashed Rem into the windows, the sound of breaking bones accompanying the sound of breaking glass echoed. Another three hands almost grabbed Lelouch, who instead ducked under them, grabbing the sword as the Archbishop slowly realized what happened.

"Y-you… what a beautiful love, ohh," Betelgeuse was moaning. The witch kept holding Lelouch's heart, and the jittering Archbishop had problems keeping his unseen hands straight, ripping through the walls left and right.

"It is an honor," Lelouch rasped out, the sword in hand, hiding behind his leg. "To meet you, Archbishop Betelgeuse."

Luckily the Archbishop seemed distracted by the sheer amount of 'love' that Satella was displaying inside Lelouch right now and hasn't noticed the spell circle on Lelouch's arm lighting up again.

"Lelouch Lamperouge!" Betelgeuse shouted. "Ahhh! The Pontiff told me, she told me you rejected her! But I can see it now, the Pontiff was wrong! Wrong wrong wrong wrong!"

Betelgeuse brought his fingernails towards his eyes, scratching the lower lids and drawing blood.

"There is nobody as loved as you are!" Betelgeuse shouted to the high heavens. "Yet you stand here, using this!"

One arm appeared, grabbing Lelouch's arm and crushing it. Lelouch, who was about to speak the incantation a second time, grunted in pain.

"Disgusting!" Betelgeuse shouted, dragging Lelouch towards him. Ripping off the sleeve of the shirt Lelouch was wearing, Betelgeuse sniffed the still activating magic circle. "Absolutely disgusting, disgusting, disgusting! What kind of degenerate magic is this!? Gahhh it's so-"

Lelouch grit his teeth when Betelgeuse bit down on the circle, chewing on his arm as he kept screaming.

"Disgusting," Betelgeuse said through the skin and flesh that was currently around his teeth. Lelouch raised the sword to strike him down, but another arm just grabbed it, raising it above the circles. "I'll take the arm, so you can experience her love, ahhhhh…"

The light from his arm exploded. The magic Lelouch kept feeding into it blew off part of his skin in a shower of red pieces and right into Betelgeuse's mouth. The accident was welcome, however, as Lelouch removed himself from the madman and grabbed the sword again, swinging it towards the Archbishop's neck.

The Archbishop created hands to block it. The hands were cut through. The magic weaker. The pieces of the circle were inside his throat. Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Zimerian!"

One of the arms flickered out of existence, Lelouch was blocked by another. "Balamuuth!"

The black hand that came up to strike him down vanished slowly. The witch squeezed his heart tighter. Lelouch felt the warm blood run down the arm that Betelgeuse had bitten. "Thearis, Vasilia.."

Every word made the grin on Lelouch's face spread further. Raising the sword again, swinging it towards the left side where Betelgeuse had no arm anymore, he continued. "Alahum!"

Blood flowed from the lack of Betelgeuse's arm now that the dark hand that had blocked the blood flow vanished. "Yaumiddi."

"Stop it!" Betelgeuse screeched. "Stop it, stop it, stop it! Why won't you just stoooop iiiit!"

Every arm that appeared vanished as quickly. Lelouch forced himself to grip the sword with both hands despite the pain running through his arm and raised it towards Betelgeuse's chest, where he knew the gospel would be. "Aiyaka. Ihdinn."

Stepping forward, Lelouch watched the Archbishop fall down, crawling backwards. "No! I can't die here! I won't die! I'll come back, and I'll kill you! Kill you! Kill you kill you kill you!"

"Mustekiin. Ya'miin. Kill me," Lelouch challenged. "I will be waiting for you. Again and again. And I'll kill you again and again, no matter how long it takes."

Lelouch stabbed him. The gospel made a squelching sound, and then the blade entered into the Archbishop's body. The man's remaining arm came up, trying to stop the blade somehow, but instead cut his fingers on the blade.

"I won't, I can't!"

Betelgeuse's last words were accompanied by spitting blood. The man's bloodstained eyes were rolling up, and the disgusting sight of the pale man in front of him turned even more disgusting. Lelouch sighed in relief. He needed to get his arm healed quickly, but first…

Lelouch threw up.

His head felt as if it would split apart. His heart felt ready to burst. The hands kept moving around him and suddenly, Lelouch stood in the middle of darkness.

* * *

Lelouch blinked. For once, every feeling of pain and worry was gone.

Betelgeuse stood in front of him, two black hands holding him by the throat, squeezing to the point that his eyeballs popped out of his head. Someone was standing there, under him, raising Betelgeuse towards the blackness above.

It was a woman. She was nude, her silver hair flowing down to her knees revealing only patches of her skin where black hands moved out of her back. It was her. She was holding Betelgeuse. A soft breeze sent shivers down his spine. Where was the wind coming from?

"Lelouch," he heard someone whisper. He turned around. In contrast to the darkness, there was a field of white behind him. When the silver haired being turned around, Lelouch found Emilia's face stare back at him.

Then the dark hands shot towards him. Hundreds. Thousands of them. Lelouch took a step back, and the darkness couldn't penetrate the light. When Lelouch spun around, trying to run, someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him further into the light.

Blinking repeatedly, Lelouch cleared the blindness that overcame him and found himself sitting at a table, a chessboard in front of him, with two cups of tea next to the board. Shaking his head, Lelouch cleared the confusion and found himself face to face with someone.

A man in white robes, wearing a way too large white hat. No, not a man. A boy? A young man? An old man? It was hard to tell the age, a soft haze keeping him from seeing everything. Lelouch swallowed a lump in his throat and moved a shaking hand to the cup of tea.

There was no pain in his arm. No wound.

The man in front of him smiled, before indicating towards the chess board. Lelouch moved one of the pawns forward, without saying a word. He couldn't find his voice.

"Lelouch vi Britannia," the man said. No, boy. The voice was young. Almost like Puck's, in a way, yet mature. His opponent moved his own pawn forward, mirroring Lelouch's action. "Do you know who I am?"

"Flügel," Lelouch said. There was no doubt in his mind. This person was the Sage. The fact that his arms were full of magical circles that were similar to the diary's circles just made it clearer. "The Sage they called Flügel."

"The Flügel they eventually called Sage," Flügel corrected. "But that is so old fashioned, I've trascended my old being and became the Great Yang Spirit F!"

Lelouch stared, not sure what exactly was going on. Flügel's shoulders slumped.

"No? I thought it'd sounds good," Flügel muttered. "You've made your theories about me already, correct?"

"Genes and spirits," Lelouch said. "You survived by splitting those off from yourself before you died, waiting for them to be inherited. Crusch Karsten thinks I inherited them."

"She's not entirely wrong," Flügel said. "You're certainly the most compatible one to inherit my genes. But the reason I dragged you here wasn't just because of that."

"I'm you?" Lelouch asked. He scoffed at the idea. Reincarnation seemed rather far-fetched, even in a world in which he seemed unable to die.

"No, not me, you're hmm…" Flügel thought after Lelouch's next move, moving a rook forward. "You're what Reinhard is to Reid. You don't actually hold my genes, instead, that's the reason I brought you here."

The game seemed to continue at a strange pace. Lelouch couldn't tell how long they were talking, his hands moving on his own.

"This is your soul, the moves you make could be made without looking at the board," Flügel said, as if reading his mind. Lelouch was losing. Five more turns, and he'd be in checkmate. Looking up from the board, he raised the empty tea cup, the sensation of time returning to him slightly.

"What do you want from me?"

"An offer," Flügel explained. "A simple one."

"I don't do well with offers I don't know the terms of," Lelouch said dryly. "So please get to the point."

"You're not very fun, huh?" Flügel asked, putting his arms behind the back of his head. "You found my diary. I wanted you to get it, and Pandora helped out with that. I wanted you to find the emblem, that's on the genes. See, when I died, I created two possibilities to continue from. One would be the genes."

Flügel raised a hand and created a glowing model of DNA strands.

"The other would be my spirit," Flügel continued. The other hand was raised, and a small version of the man appeared. "There are some… dangerous side effects involved when both happen to be split apart, you see. And I want you to choose which one to keep."

Lelouch grimaced. "What do you mean? You explained nothing."

"You can take my genes," Flügel said, waving Lelouch off. "They'll give you my memories, it would turn you into the heir to the Sage. The equal to the Sword Saint and the Dragon. You would live with political power only paralleled by those two entities, capable of deciding the fate of the candidates. Your name would be the first in the line of your own noble house in Lugnica. All my magic would be yours, provided you spend the same fifty or so odd years to master it all."

"That doesn't sound like a bad offer," Lelouch admitted, though the amount of time involved in mastering the magic was rather unattractive. "What's the catch?"

"There might be a few marriage contracts lying around, a dangerous artifact or two you're liable for, sudden cravings for banana pie and the occasional- don't look at me like that," Flügel cut himself off when he noticed Lelouch's stare. "It might mess with your memories. Your personality. If you're not compatible, you would go mad, just like Satella. But you are compatible, I know you are, so the risks of that are so minimal, you'd have to physically work on fucking it up."

Lelouch didn't expect the bit of profanity that slipped into Flügel's sentence, but he found it strangely appropriate. "And the other possibility?"

"Contract me," Flügel said. "I've become a Great Yang Spirit, it would make you a spirit-user and capable of using magic with the mana of the atmosphere. I can give you advice, but you'd still have to read the diary to learn the magic."

"Why won't you tell me that as a spirit, then?" Lelouch asked. "All the magic is still in your head, right?"

"My genes have been slumbering," Flügel explained, sounding resigned. "In stasis. If you took them, they'd be as fresh as four-hundred years ago. But I lived long as a spirit. Four-hundred years I've waited. I forgot things, and learned new ones."

"So what is this offer? The one between political power and magical one?" Lelouch asked. Though the political power would eventually pay off, Lelouch wasn't so sure about the side-effects.

"That's about it," Flügel said. "Simple, isn't it? But also comes with a catch. You see, when you want to form a contract with a spirit, you want to offer something in return. A condition that you have to fulfill or the contract breaks."

"So you want something in return," Lelouch deducted, shrugging. "What is it?"

"A favor."

Lelouch thought back to C.C.

He thought back to the day he received his Geass and the insanity that followed in the next years.

"What kind of favor?" Lelouch asked. The chess pieces in front of him were vibrating. He wanted to do his move. How could he win? How could he get into a situation in which he might lose?

"I can't tell you right now, it involves a few elements you have to learn of your own," Flügel answered him simply. Lelouch breathed out through his nose, closing his eyes. Flügel was still holding his palms out.

Political power would send him to places quickly.. If this was to be his home, he could start off with the second highest position possible, right next to the Sword Saint, Reinhard.

But Lelouch had grown tired of political intrigue, court shenanigans and the nobility standing over everyone, putting their own interests above those of their subjects. If Lelouch wanted to amass political power, he could do that on his own. Earn favors, money, fame. He could become friends with the queen, as he was trying to do with the candidates.

"I've learned something," Lelouch said. Flügel was without a doubt aware of his past. "From my mistakes. From my past. The decisions I've made. There was one thing that I never did wrong, one thing I've never faltered from."

"And that would be?"

Lelouch grabbed his king from the board and moved him forward, almost in the path of Flügel's queen.

"If the king does not lead," Lelouch said, grabbing Flügel's hand with the manifestation of the Sage's spirit. "How does he expect his subordinates to follow?"

Flügel blinked, before grinning. "Even though you present yourself like this, you're actually someone who's very kind, aren't you, Lelouch?"

"There's nothing kind about my decisions," Lelouch disagreed.

"There's kindness in selflessness."

* * *

 **Arc 3: End**


	16. Capitalism, ho!

**Arc 4: The Fox of Kararagi**

 **Chapter 16: Capitalism, ho!**

* * *

A spirit's physical form was not limited. While every spirit had a 'true form' which could be anything from a human to a monstrous being, they could, if they chose to, look like whatever they wanted. Of course, certain beings had a bias towards certain forms. Puck, for example, was most likely catlike in his true form as well, which is why he took his form.

Not being bound by a physical form meant that they could increase their size without a second thought. The problem was that keeping their physical forms intact meant a supply of internal mana being pledged to them. This didn't mean much when one had become a spirit mage, after all, magic could be pulled from the atmosphere now, which allowed Lelouch to increase his own strength slightly. Unfortunately, measuring mana from the atmosphere was hard. After his arm almost blew off earlier, Lelouch had begun using his magic in small doses, trying to get used to the metaphorical third arm that cast his magic now.

Lelouch grunted when he finished filling up the bookshelf with various books. The painted wooden shelf had clearly seen better days, but buying a new one at the craftsman would've cost him at least five times as much, and Lelouch wasn't going to throw out money out of the window. While Lelouch had the money to furnish his new home and more to spare, there were more important things to buy, such as importing books, which quite often cost more than furniture.

He would never be content with an urchin den such as the old man Rom's, but what was more important than a new bookshelf or a bed out of marble was the appearance of someone people would respect. Someone who had money and the respect of their peers. Someone who had the support of his allies.

"You could help me," Lelouch said. The response was a low grumble. Staring at the form on his new bed, Lelouch felt himself grow annoyed. Lying on his bed, Flügel was sleeping with his eyes closed. It was a peculiar sight considering that birds didn't have eyelids. Then again, a cat shouldn't be able to imitate human expressions as well as Puck did. Lelouch simply chalked that up to the forms of spirits being weird.

It took a while for him to wake up after the debacle with Betelgeuse. By the time he was awake again, they had been on their way to the capital, and Lelouch departed immediately, promising to meet them as soon as he found himself a place to stay. He still hadn't done so before leaving towards Mathers' domain, though the actual hunting for a home was rather anticlimactic. His name was recognized. People helped him find a place easily.

And among the silence, Lelouch called out. Feeding the spirit his mana, it materialized. A white-feathered raven. A crude one at that. Flügel's form was appropriate to his name.

Rather than be a small bird, however, Flügel decided to keep his form big. Big enough to lie on his back, his beak half open and snoring while Lelouch was decorating his previously spartan home into something more appropriate. Flügel has not been very talkative, however.

Kneeling in front of his new bed, Lelouch clasped his hands together and focused mana from his gate into the atmosphere. Speaking in a soft voice, he called out. "In accordance to our pledge, I urge you to wake up, Great Spirit."

The wing that slapped his face irritated Lelouch even more. Rather than play the games of the whimsical spirit further, he instead pulled the mana from the spirit back into his body. The form flickered before it turned into a wing-shaped hairpin. It attached to his hair. Lelouch couldn't take it off.

At night, the forms of spirits broke down anyway. The net mana that they took to stay in form was generally a percentage of power, no matter how big the reserves. Feeding the spirit mana again, the hairpin vanished and Flügel sat on the bed in his human form, a young boy with an oversized hat.

"I've not slept in a physical form in over four-hundred years," Flügel said, sounding annoyed. "And you had to ruin it."

"We need to talk," Lelouch said.

"Is this the point where you say 'it's not you, it's me'?" Flügel asked. Lelouch clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Okay, okay, I wanted to talk to you too."

"You've not been very open in your advice, a few cryptic mental messages don't help me."

"You're too tense," Flügel countered. "You need to stop seeing everything that could go wrong and focus on the things that could go right."

"It's very hard doing that considering how the witch keeps killing me if I think things are going well," Lelouch said. Flügel blinked.

"Run that by me again?" Flügel demanded. "Kill you? How are you still alive then?"

"How do you not know?" Lelouch countered, putting an arm over his hip. "Whenever I die, she returns me back to some point-"

Lelouch put his fingers over his mouth, and upon noticing that no hands were coming to kill him, he licked his lips before continuing.

"I can talk with you about it without dying," Lelouch said. "It seems an improvement. Maybe due to the contract?"

"Could you go back for a bit to the part where she _kills_ you?" Flügel asked. "Then _how are you still alive_?"

"She returns me to some sort of point she decides," Lelouch said. "I've died very often in the past few weeks. Whenever I die, I keep my memories. It's some sort of curse that makes me unable to talk about it too. It's not just her that kills me, of course. Sometimes I died due to other circumstances. The one she was involved in was… more memorable, however."

"It makes sense," Flügel muttered. "Every calculation, every spell created specifically to kill Satella…"

The Sage jumped off the bed, pacing around the room, his hands holding the oversized hat, pulling it slightly down over his eyes.

"Whenever we tried to kill her, she kept dodging, blocking us," Flügel said, sounding incredibly distant as he mentioned killing his spouse. "There was something we were missing. It's this, isn't it? You die, you come back, you remember. So whenever we killed her... "

Flügel's fists clenched, the parts of the hat he grabbed crinkling.

"Die!" Flügel ordered. "The contract might've changed something about it, we need to check if I can keep my memories as well-"

"I'm not going to die for no reason;" Lelouch said. "If anything changed, it would be a reason not to go around killing myself."

Flügel actually pouted at his refusal to die at his command. Too bad Flügel didn't have a Geass.

"It's very conditional, to the point where I can't predict whatever triggers it," Lelouch explained. "If I help someone, I end up dying. If I help them in another way, I still die, but at a different time. If I don't save a person, Satella stirs. When her mana entered my body, I destroyed it, and she killed me, but her mana-"

"Her mana makes people who can use magic aware that you have a connection to the witch, yes," Flügel said. "It's… not a pretty smell. She only began smelling like this after she killed our friends."

"The other witches?" Lelouch assumed. Flügel nodded.

"They've helped. It took years from the first contact with the Witch Genes before she actually snapped."

"Witch Genes?" Lelouch asked. "As in, genes which hold the Witch memories and powers?"

"Kind of, those were more specific, though. They don't hold a memory, but a state," Flügel said. "The Witch powers are as ancient as that old dragon I knew back in the day. I never managed to study them considering everything that happened, but the Witch genes need you to be compatible."

"And Satella wasn't?"

"She wasn't. That's not to say that the others didn't occasionally mess up too. Daphne made a bunch of mabeasts. We got rid of them, but Satella taking her authority just brought them back worse."

"Why would she-"

"World hunger," Flügel interrupted quickly. Lelouch blinked a few times at the obviously reflexive answer before shaking his head.

"I've got a feeling that this world was doomed before Satella snapped," Lelouch said. Flügel nodded.

"Perhaps so." The young-looking spirit was still pacing around the room, but his hands had now found his sides instead of his hat, leaving him pacing with big strides. "But these were all problems that had easy solutions. Those solutions don't exist anymore."

Lelouch sat down on his bed, rubbing his forehead. "So there's nothing you can tell me about this curse?"

"If it's not a curse, but the authority of Envy, I don't think you can do much besides finding a way to force it on someone else. Besides that… I think I can help you move around conditions in which she kills you. I know her better than anyone."

"The fact that you're trying to help me with your insane wife that you've failed to kill makes me rather wary," Lelouch admitted. "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I loved Satella," Flügel said smoothly, his hand over his chest. It felt rather weird hearing it from someone that took the form of someone so young, yet Lelouch could easily hear the emotion in his words. "I loved her so much, I'd have ended the world for her. But that monster that looks like her, it's not Satella. It's the Witch of Envy."

Lelouch didn't have to ask what kind of difference there was. "The magic you created was for her convenience, right? A spell that brought you to her, one that let you communicate?"

Flügel nodded again, smiling softly. "She's been… lonely. Even before she got into the contact with the genes, she was the kind of person that became attached quickly. I… I can barely remember those times, though. It feels like there's a hole, and all that remains is her smiling face. That girl, Emilia, she looks like her."

"You know about Emilia?" Lelouch asked. Considering the spirit's unawareness of the curse, he hadn't expected Flügel to be aware of the outside.

"I admit, my heart was unfaithful, beating at her appearance and her soft smile," Flügel said, his hand clenching over his chest. "Yet I could never betray the woman I love even four-hundred years after her passing…"

"Was it your emotions bleeding through?" Lelouch asked. "The reason I feel myself attracted to various women?"

While the effect about Pandora and Elsa had passed quickly, the one on Emilia was still remaining. Lelouch could keep the feeling at bay.

"It might be?" Flügel admitted. "I'm not sure just how much my presence affected you, I've been attached to you until you were ready to meet me. It's been a few years."

Lelouch frowned. Years? As if reading his thoughts, and he might very well have done considering his presence as a contracted spirit, Flügel raised his arms and waved them in front of Lelouch.

"I was sleeping until you arrived here! The only things I know is that you were born one day back when I was still looking for someone to inherit my ideals."

"You don't remember a lot of things," Lelouch said. "Nor are you very forthcoming on the information you do remember. If you're trying to work with me, I'd need you to be more open."

"A bit of mystery never hurt, did it?" Flügel winked at him. Lelouch very much disagreed. A bit of mystery killed him quite often by now. "I can teach you some tricks on how to improve with your magic, though!"

"Tricks?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that tricks would make it that easy, unless you've found a way to cast magic that nobody else did."

Lelouch wasn't sure if the magical circles counted. There was ritualistic magic that was similar, which didn't make Flügel's brand of magic that unique.

"It is when you have fun doing it," Flügel said. The child stood next to him, spreading his arms and then flopping back down on the bed. Lying on his back now, Flügel yawned. "I studied magic for years and I found something to be fun every day. You're super tense. Too rigid."

"I've just recently gone toe to toe with a madman," Lelouch said. He wasn't shaken up by this experience alone, no. The fact that he had to fear for his life so often, even with an ability like that, made Lelouch suspicious of everything. Every conversation he held, every person he met. Everyone could be responsible for his next death.

The scar on his arm from where the insane Archbishop had bitten off a piece of him would remain, however. That wasn't something he could fix easily.

"What happened to your genes anyway?" Lelouch asked. Flügel drew his lips into a line and looked out of the window.

"Might have looked for someone else, that's what I'd have done as spirit if you had inherited them," Flügel said. "Only one I can think might be rather pissed when they arrive. You'll meet her eventually."

"Your apprentice," Lelouch was sure of it. "The one most people think was the Sage?"

"After the seal was in place, I didn't have much interest in sticking around," he explained. "There's… a lesson about that, you could say. Magic is stronger if you have a certain intent that aligns with the kind of spell."

"Wanting to burn something with a fireball, wanting to cut something when creating a sword?"

Flügel nodded. "But before that, magic is easier if it has a _purpose_. My purpose, my entire life long, was to make Satella happy. So with that purpose, I created spells that let me do that. When my purpose was to fix the mistakes I made when the Witch of Envy broke out, I created spells that could kill her. What's your purpose, Lelouch? Your goal?"

Lelouch only had one answer at this point.

"To annihilate the witch cult," he freely admitted. "And crush them to the point that even history books won't mention the specks of dust they'd become under my feet."

"If that purpose fuels you, you're wasting your time learning magic like a child learning the alphabet. You don't learn the A before the Z here. Wait, hold on."

Flügel sat up.

"That's why you had the diary open further every time!" Flügel pointed an accusing finger at Lelouch. "You kept dying and remembering the pages!"

"If the diary was less fickle with its decisions," Lelouch told him. "I'd die less and you'd know more about the headaches I had dealing with the Archbishop."

"Yeah, he kinda went off the deep end," Flügel agreed. "Used to help us out back in the day, then he got a gospel after the sealing went off. I blame that bitch."

"Bitch?" Lelouch asked.

"Pandora."

"Ah."

The woman who had started his vendetta against the witch cult was still kind of an enigma. She was a Witch, but not one of the seven that made up the Witch of Envy at the height of her power. If someone that powerful wanted to revive Satella for whatever reason, it would be hard to stop her. Lelouch had to.

Someone knocked on the door, and Lelouch turned to it. Grabbing Felt's gift from the wall and approaching it, Lelouch heard the form of Flügel behind him shift. "Who is this?"

"Sir Golden, I'm a messenger from the castle, sir!" a young voice called out. Keeping the sword still in hand, he opened the door slightly and stared at the child in a butler outfit. Instead of lowering his voice, the boy who whose eyes were closed began shouting again. "I am here to invite you to the castle for a meeting with the Sage council and the Royal Knight representative! Russell Fellows asked for your presence!"

"Quiet, boy," Lelouch chided. Half the people were looking out of their windows and witnessing the rather shameful display. "Are you taking me there now or is the meeting scheduled due another time?"

The boy opened his eyes, and Lelouch found himself scowling at the amber eyed youth.

"The meeting is in an hour. It shouldn't take longer than five minutes there in a carriage."

"I'll take my own ride," Lelouch decided. Staring at the small raven that had begun to sleep on his pillow again, he planned his approach. He wanted to make a scene. Something people paid attention to. Crusch Karsten would probably hate him, but he had no interest in taking the place of the Sage. "Thank you for your service, messenger. Please try to keep your voice down the next time."

"Yes, sir!" the boy shouted. Lelouch breathed out strongly through his nose when the boy ran off to the carriage in front of his home and jumped into the driver's seat, taking off. Spinning around on his heel and throwing the sword aside, Lelouch grinned at Flügel.

"We're making a trip," Lelouch said. "You'll carry me."

"Do I have to?"

"It'll be beneficial to achieving my goal."

Flügel began humming slightly, though it sounded rather rough from the throat of a raven. Righting himself up, he turned to Lelouch. "Hmmm, we can't keep calling me Flügel in this form, can we?"

"No, we definitely can't," Lelouch agreed. "Do you have any preference?"

Flügel floated into the air without even flapping his wings. It was a comical display. A second later he spread one wing far out and the other on his chest. "I will be known as Alchiba! Great Yang Spirit Alchiba!"

Alchiba. Alpha Corvi.

While the constellations were not the same in this world, many names related to stars, Lelouch noticed early. Flügel was from another world, and if he had studied the constellations, he would know the names and the images they were supposed to portray.

"We will go with Alchiba," Lelouch said. "Don't embarrass us."

"Bah." Flügel shook his head. "I've always hated those self-important pricks who pretended to be relevant. I made the Sage council for the purpose of helping the common people, and now they behave like they're nobles themselves!"

"You made them?"

"Ever had that awkward moment when you realized you made a huge mistake and it's way too late to fix it?" Flügel asked. Lelouch nodded. "They're mine."

Esteemed council that has existed since the first days the royal family ascended the throne. The mistake of a man who was too busy chasing after the love of his life rather than take care they don't end up corrupt, or worse, incompetent.

"Don't say anything that'd make them suspicious then," Lelouch warned. Flügel gave him a look that made Lelouch sure he would regret letting the spirit carry him to the castle.

* * *

It has been a rather quiet day for the castle guards, just like the last few days. Just like the last few weeks. The last time that the guards actually had something to do was when Reinhard stormed the gates with a limp young man and a princess in tow, and even then the Royal knights took care of everything.

Life was slow.

At least until a shadow was cast over them and they looked up to see a white robed man sitting on a white-feathered raven that was at least twice his size, flying through the sky. Something about the wing flapping looked off, but besides that, it was a rather impressive display.

When the bird stopped right above the guards and fell. Slamming into ground in front of them and kicking up dirt, the rather unsophisticated landing left the gate guards speechless.

"In accordance to the prophecy, I've arrived," Flügel declared. Lelouch jumped off the raven's back and dusted himself off slightly before turning to the guards.

"Don't pay him any attention," Lelouch said, making a note to find a way to make Flügel uncomfortable without outright hurting him. "I've come for the meeting that was scheduled today, my name is Lelouch Lamperouge."

The left guard nodded, taking a step aside to let Lelouch pass. Flügel turned small and settled on his shoulder when the gates opened and Lelouch stepped in.

Right at the gates, a maid came up to him and bowed. She had gray hair, and the wrinkles on her face showed her age. The confident stride she took while walking made Lelouch assume that she had been here for a while already, compared to some of the younger servants who were constantly nervous around the presence of the armed nobles. "Please follow me, sir."

The increased presence of Royal Guard members was the only thing that had changed since the last time he was here. Lelouch was led towards a relatively small room.

The servant that was his guide towards the meeting opened the door after knocking on it and poked her head in. A second later, she opened the door fully and announced his name. "Lelouch Lamperouge."

"And Alchiba," Flügel said from his shoulder. The people turned to the bird. A man with light purple hair that went down to his chin was staring rather intensely. He was standing behind a man with green hair who was dressed in a more traditional armor.

Lelouch stepped in with a confident stride.

"Ah, that must be the spirit that brought you here," an old man with a long beard said. If Lelouch recalled his name correctly, this was Miklotov, the representative of the Sage council. "The messenger was rather quick to announce your arrival."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, I've had some things to handle before arriving here so I had to hurry," Lelouch said, bowing. The green haired man was wearing a constant frown, though Lelouch could see it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"It is alright," Miklotov said, the old man sounding more eager as he accepted Lelouch's apology. "I am Miklotov McMahon, the leader of the Sage council. Sitting to my left is Marcos Gildark, the captain of the Royal Guard, and behind him the Knight Julius. You are already an acquaintance Sir Fellow, I believe."

"I am," Lelouch said, sitting down in the fourth seat that was around the circular table. "I believe the last time I've put on a rather shameful display. Thank you for helping me back to the capital in my indisposed state, Sir Fellow."

"It's still Russell," Russell said, grinning. "It's not every day one kills an Archbishop, there's nothing shameful about exhausting oneself."

Marcos coughed. "I believe that's not why we're here. I would like to thank you personally for your deeds after this meeting, but right now we're speaking about something just as important to the safety of our kingdom."

"I believe we're still waiting for someone who has requested entry to the proceedings," Miklotov interrupted. Julius nodded at that. "Pardon my rambling, but I believe that we have some time to speak about other things than business."

Marcos didn't look too happy about it, but nodded nonetheless. The Sage council had the command of the Royal Guard as long as there was no royal family, but even if they hadn't, Lelouch doubted Marcos would've simply disrespected the old man with a demand to continue the negotiations.

Not that these were supposed to be negotiations. Lelouch was offering a lot more than he would receive back. It was for the purpose of helping himself further along.

"If I may ask," Julius began. "That's quite the presence on your shoulder there."

"Ohh, that's one interesting blessing you have there," Flügel said. The people turned their attention to the raven again. "Makes it hard to dislike you, I think we could get along pretty well."

Julius bowed, smiling softly. "It's an honor to meet a great spirit such as you, Alchiba. I've not heard that the Sir Lamperouge had found himself with a contract to someone such as you."

"It's a rather recent development," Lelouch said. "After the Archbishop's death, the spirit approached me for a contract. It's been rather enlightening."

"At least someone knows how to pay me some respect," Flügel muttered rather loudly. "I should contract you instead."

"I'm afraid that it won't be possible, I have an arrangement already and would risk it," Julius said. "Thank you for the offer."

"Can't even take a joke," Flügel muttered again. "Call me when you need me, I'm not one for meetings."

The form flashed and vanished. Lelouch felt the wing-shaped hairpin end up in his hair. He fought against the frown that was creeping up on his face and won by a small margin.

The door opened again and upon a nod from the Sage representative, a voice rang out.

"Anastasia Hoshin," the maid from before called. A fifth chair was brought to the table and Lelouch moved aside to let the young woman with hair similar to the shade of Julius' sit down between Russell and himself. Julius moved away from the spot behind his captain and instead settled behind Anastasia.

Lelouch stared at the woman who looked way too overdressed for the weather in Lugnica. Her pelt-lined clothes gave her the presence of someone who had money. A lot of money. Her face was shapely and smooth. Maybe not quite as beautiful as Emilia or Priscilla Barielle, but 'adorable'.

"Well, well," she began. "Ain't you a handsome one."

She had an accent that made her innocent presence crumble to dust. Lelouch simply smiled at her.

"I hadn't expected a candidate to join the proceedings," Lelouch said. "It's an honor to meet you, Lady Hoshin."

"Same," she said. She reminded him of Felt. And from what he heard, she came from similar circumstances and worked herself up the ladder of her company until she took it over. Someone like that was not easily intimidated, nor easily impressed. They wouldn't be convinced as easily as Felt was when he suggested helping the poor people by becoming queen. "To make it fair, I asked the others if they wanted to join in too, they refused. I believe the half-elf knows about the plan already."

Priscilla wouldn't care much, and Crusch Karsten was likely in on the idea of receiving the spell for the kingdom knights. Emilia knew already and Felt was not interested.

Of course only the trading company mogul would appear.

"While I don't want to start off the wrong impression, I believe that I've made my intention clear," Lelouch said, glancing towards Russell. "There's danger in the spell spreading too much. The knights of Lugnica, and no one else. How sure can we be that you won't teach the spell in Kararagi?"

The question wasn't asked in a way that'd sound like an accusation. It didn't matter. Julius narrowed his eyes, and even Russell looked slightly uncomfortable. Merely Marcos nodded, as if appreciative that Lelouch had asked the question before he had to.

"No worries about that," she said, her face neutral. "I'm here to make you an offer that'd be hard to refuse~"

Her playful tone made him shiver. Something was off about her.

"And that would be?"

"Perhaps we could discuss the terms for Lugnica first," Marcos interrupted. Miklotov didn't stop him this time, and Russell spoke up immediately.

"Lelouch has offered a spell created by the Sage Flügel which would replace the more fragile metias," Russell said. "I've briefed you on that already, the conditions were simple. To make sure that the spell does not move into the hands of cultists or criminals, only the Royal Guard would receive the spell, while the metia would go into the hands of individuals in the populace to call for aid from the knights quicker. This spell would allow us to organize better, and help our efforts against the witch cult and common crime in the capital, which is the responsibility of the royal family."

"The royal family, however, passed away," Miklotov said, his voice heavy. "Which is why this decision now lies with the Sage council and Captain Marcos."

"The terms are more than generous," Anastasia said, raising her nose slightly as she closed her eyes. "Which is strange considering you're a foreigner."

"You'd accuse me of manipulating the spell into something that benefits me," Lelouch deduced. She glanced at him through half-lidded eyes. He smiled at her. "I don't mind presenting the spell applied on myself and giving the Sage council the formula to take care of the rest."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Anastasia admitted. Lelouch wasn't sure just how truthful she was being. "But both of us are not members of this kingdom, yet people know where I come from. If that spell appeared in the hands of Kararagi, they'd accuse me, even if you decided to teach it to people there."

"You think his gain lies in smearing you?" Marcos asked. The man sounded doubtful of her assumption. "Everything we've learned about him has not given me the impression of such a person."

"How so?" Julius asked. "We know nearly nothing about him."

"He left the sanctuary that was the Sword Saint's mansion and fought an assassin to the death," Marcos said. "Then killed an Archbishop in Mathers' domain. Lady Karsten met with him, and he announced neutrality to each candidate."

"He did?" Anastasia asked. Her fingers were tapping on the table, creating a soft staccato. Crusch Karsten didn't inform her.

She informed Emilia by proxy when she sent Russell to Mathers. She probably informed her cousin Priscilla, and Felt was present when he left the mansion, knowing his reasons, though not happy with them.

Then why not Anastasia?

Was it because she was a foreigner? Emilia's origins were unknown as well, as far as he knew. Was it because she was worried what Anastasia would do with such information? The young woman was competent, without a doubt, but what could neutrality do for her?

"Then perhaps I have to re-evaluate my offer," Anastasia said. "I take back my concerns. Instead, until the queen has been crowned, I shall not learn the spell. As a foreigner, I'll hold back from that."

It put her at a disadvantage. The Sage council wouldn't hesitate to give such an essential spell to the other candidates. But…

"Julius will receive it, and he's your knight, correct?" Lelouch asked. She nodded. Looking up to the knight who was still not looking too happy with Lelouch's earlier accusation, he spoke up again. "It is because I am a foreigner that I have to ask this question, and I apologize if it comes off as insulting, but who is the Royal Knight Julius loyal to?"

"What do you mean?" Julius asked. Marcos closed his eyes, lowering his head and waiting for his answer.

"Is it the royal family, the kingdom of Lugnica and the other knights?" Lelouch asked. "Or is it Anastasia Hoshin, candidate to the throne, owner of the Hoshin Trading Company whose home is Kararagi?"

Julius, surprisingly, did not get angry. If anything, the expression on his face made it obvious that he was more annoyed with Lelouch's presence than anything.

"I don't see a difference." Julius took the third option. "After all, the next queen of Lugnica will be Lady Hoshin, so I've sworn it upon my blade and honor as a knight."

"Then if Lady Hoshin ordered you to teach the spell to one of her countrymen and keep silent about it, would you do it?" Lelouch asked.

"No," Anastasia said. "He won't."

"Lady Anastasia!" Julius said, his voice rising.

"A hard face doesn't suit you, Julius," she said, shaking her head. "His loyalties lie, first and foremost with the Royal family. I would not dare to threaten the possibility of my throne ascension with such a triviality. Julius Juukulius will not, under any circumstances, refuse the demand of the Sage council to keep the spell in the hands of Lugnica's knights only."

It was symbolic, because she could very well order him to do that under his oath as a knight to her. The point was made, however, and Lelouch nodded.

"I accept these terms," Lelouch said smoothly. "Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Lady Hoshin."

"Under terms of neutrality, I'd like to invite you to Kararagi one day," Anastasia decided. Lelouch nodded - when meeting under her terms, she'd let her guard down. "If it is all the same to you, I'll excuse myself for now. Though our meeting has been short, it's was an honor to be here."

She gave a dignified bow and left the room with Julius. Marcos opened his eyes when he heard the door close behind her.

"If you're done with the politics," the captain said. "Then perhaps we could go back to the actual issue at hand. I can't accept the conditions as they are."

"Why that?" Miklotov asked. Lelouch turned to the armored man who kept an unreadable expression.

"It would simply leave us indebted. I cannot accept this. Under these circumstances, I have to offer something."

"I'd not dare refuse an offer that would let me help the people with this spell," Lelouch said quickly. The man shook his head.

"I know not where your loyalties lie, but Reinhard speaks of you as a friend, and if there's anyone who's a good judge of character, it's him," Marcos said. "As a friend of Reinhard, and someone who seems to hold the people of Lugnica in high regard, under the circumstances that revolved around the Sin Archbishop Betelgeuse Romani-Conti; I wish to invite you to join the Royal Guard. Though you're not a knight, I'm sure we can make one out of you."

Russell began coughing, and even the Sage Miklotov looked surprised by the suggestion. Even Lelouch hadn't exactly expected it. To his knowledge, the Royal Guard was handpicked by the captain, among the strongest knights in the kingdom. In fact, he didn't hear about any of them not being somehow related to a noble family of some kind.

It was a serious gesture. Symbolic in that refusing it would mean he refused to swear loyalty to the Royal family. A man as competent enough to take over the duty of captain of such a force would never be unaware in what a spot he would put someone by extending such an offer.

"I cannot," Lelouch said. Russell breathed out the word 'gods', shaking his head ever so slightly, but Marcos didn't look surprised or put off in the slightest.

"Might I inquire why, Sir Lamperouge?"

"I don't know who will ascend the throne," Lelouch said. "I don't know all of the candidates personally. Let me rephrase my answer."

Coughing slightly as all the attention turned to him, Lelouch gave his most charming smile and spread his fingers on his chest, bowing slightly.

"I will accept your gracious offer perhaps in the future, but not at this point in time," Lelouch corrected himself. "There's something that I couldn't do if I was training to become a knight, nor would I disrespect you by not giving you all I have while in such a training."

"Very well. Perhaps," Marcos said, stressing the word as he nodded. "In the future then. I have no other objections."

"The conditions were accepted, it's not much of a negotiation, but it is what it is," Russell said, clapping his hands together. "Thank you for your service to the kingdom, Lelouch."

"It's my pleasure," Lelouch said. "Though I'm afraid I might have made a bad impression in front of Lady Hoshin."

"The people from Kararagi are a bit different, but she means well," Russell said. "Nobody but her has a plan B in case they don't win - she's been nothing but supportive of tax-free trading between the kingdoms as long as we can secure the roads."

"Sir Lamperouge," Marcos stopped Russell's gushing. The man stood up, showing off his height. "Would you be ready to speak with me for a moment? It shouldn't take too long. You can teach the Sage how to use the spell afterwards."

"Lead the way," Lelouch said, following the man out of the room. They were walking through a long hallway.

"Reinhard trusts you," Marcos repeated. "And his mistress seems to do the same. While I trust his judgement, there's something about you which makes me wonder just what your origins are."

"That would be?"

"You smell worse than any Archbishop I've ever faced," Marcos said. "I've my own theories about you. Your origins. Indulge me for a moment."

"As you wish," Lelouch said. "I'll not shy away from admitting that there's a reason I don't like to speak about my past. If the line of questioning goes into a direction I don't feel comfortable with, do excuse if I refuse to answer."

Marcos nodded, unabashed and unyielding.

"You seem genuine when you say that you want to help people. Crusch Karsten did not describe you as a liar, but rather someone who goes certain lengths to hide the truth," Marcos said. "Because in your past, you've done things you regret. You don't wish those things to taint your future."

Lelouch grinned slightly. "You sound like you speak from experience."

"Chivalry is dead," Marcos said. "And men often seek redemption among death. There is no task as hard as that of a knight. Everyone has their demons, even someone like Reinhard. Some are simply more vile, more haunting, than others."

Lelouch didn't mind that the captain had such an image of him. There was something flattering about it.

"And sometimes, those demons can only vanish if one fixes their mistakes with their own hands rather than make up for them with good deeds," Marcos said. "Even if it meant killing those one called allies."

The off-handed way the man said it made Lelouch almost stumble. He stopped in his tracks, and the man did as well, turning around to face Lelouch directly. The former emperor's mind kept moving at a rapid pace, parsing the sentence again and again.

"You believe I had ties to the Witch Cult," Lelouch accused him. "And that I'm trying to redeem myself by killing them?"

Marcos nodded.

Unabashed and unyielding.

"And if it were so?" Lelouch asked. "Hypothetically speaking, I was someone like that. A person who had committed atrocities that would have seen him sent to the gallows a hundred times over. What would you do to someone like that?"

How would someone like him, captain of the Royal Guard, knight of an incredibly powerful kingdom, judge the demon emperor?

"Nothing," Marcos said. "If you were, hypothetically speaking, a former member of the cult, and are now working against them, I'd do nobody a favor by judging you for a crime when I have no evidence of your wrongdoing."

The man sounded almost empathetic, and his stony facade was cracked - revealing but a splinter of sympathy.

"What I was or wasn't," Lelouch said, shaking his head. Even if it was pure conjecture, the man thought he had him all figured out. No, he _did_ have him figured out pretty well. "It doesn't matter now. If you wish to believe that, then do so, but please don't inform others of your suspicions, I'd rather not depend on people acting like you."

"My lips are sealed," Marcos said. Lelouch could've sworn that he saw a small grin on the man's lips. Of course, it might just have been the light. The captain, now certain he knew all about Lelouch, would let his guard down. "And if you ever need help facing your demons, call for me. There are those that they took away, the people who would rest more easily knowing they've been avenged."

"Thank you."

Lelouch felt genuine gratitude. It was not redemption he was seeking, it was the safety of his world.

In a way, that was Lelouch's redemption. To keep the world he destroyed and created anew safe, he needed to kill Pandora.

Flügel's voice hummed approvingly in his mind.


	17. Et Tu, Julius?

**Chapter 17: Et Tu, Julius?**

* * *

The softness of the pillow under his head was a blessing. For the first time in a while, he had a good night's rest. As the rays of sunlight pierced through the bright green curtains he put over his windows, Lelouch awoke well rested. There was rarely a day in Lugnica that was not bright and sunny. The thing that finally forced him to move out of bed were the sound of steps.

Brushing through his hair as he sat up, Lelouch grabbed the sword by his side and looked around. It was barely a second later that he caught sight of the source of the noise.

Standing outside, far down the street where he was living, a yellow streak was rushing towards his wide open door. Lelouch blinked the sleep out of his eyes and rubbed them just to be sure that he wasn't seeing things. By the time he noticed what was happening, it was already too late.

"LELOUUUUUUCHH!" was the battlecry of the wind-empowered speedster as she jumped from her run, spinning through the air at least five times before slamming a leg into his chest. Lelouch had both a weird sense of deja vu and vertigo when the momentum of the kick managed to remove him from his bed and onto the floor. The fact that he wasn't splattered on the wall was almost more surprising than the fact that he had been assaulted in such a manner.

Then the wind came after her and kicked up every single book and paper that was lying on the desk, creating a chaos in his room that was comparable to the aftermath of a battlefield. Lelouch put his head on the floor, putting his arm over his eyes.

"Good morning, Felt," Lelouch said. The girl was standing on his bed now, grinning triumphantly as she took a very unladylike pose. It consisted of her fists sitting on her hips while her upper body was leaning backwards.

"You almost die against a whackjob and that's the first thing you say!?" she asked. Lelouch slid the arm off his face and looked up at her.

"How did you even get in here?" Lelouch asked, slowly removing himself from the ground. A soft cough caught his attention. Turning his gaze towards the door, he saw Flügel, in his small form, trying the best to hide himself.

"That giant bird let me in," Felt said. Lelouch frowned. Of course he did. The Sage-turned-spirit was aware of his relationship with the candidate and her knight and that he considered them friends of sorts. When she saw him pick up the papers that were on the floor instead of continuing the conversation, Felt scowled. "Hey, you have a guest!"

"Who kicked me first thing in the morning," Lelouch said. Felt didn't even look guilty, she just grinned. Huffing slightly, he turned to her again. "Though yes, I admit that it was wrong of me not to check in with you after returning to Lugnica. The days have been rather… hectic, as of late."

"You killed an Archbishop, that's like finding a sacred gold coin on the ground," Felt said. "You deserve a few days off for that."

There wasn't nearly as much luck involved in that situation as there would be in finding money. Lelouch tried to smile at her, but it was rather hard to do so. If anything, he found himself letting his guard down around her. "Where's Reinhard?"

"I kinda ditched him at the castle when he went to get that fancy tattoo you've sold to the castle," Felt answered, waving him off. The spitfire was never worried about her safety. Considering the fact that she's likely a bastard of the royal family, she should be the most attractive target for people that want to secure another candidate's victory. "Is it true that you didn't even take money?"

"Indeed." Lelouch nodded. "I've made a different arrangement instead."

"You're actually pretty dumb, aren't you?" Felt asked. Lelouch shrugged.

"If the Lady Felt thinks so, how should one such as me refute such a statement?" Lelouch asked, going back to gathering the papers of the ground. Felt snorted.

"Don't make me kick you again."

Lelouch raised his hands in defeat when he finished picking up most of his things and then threw them all onto the desk, to be sorted out later. "Reinhard is going to be worried if you're not back by the time he finishes."

"He's too fussy, I don't need someone to keep an eye on me all the time," Felt said, crossing her arms. Crossing her legs, she fell down onto the bed and bounced slightly. Her fingers grabbing the sheets as she leaned forward, she glared at him. "Don't think that means I'm not going to kick you again for not coming by immediately. What's with that bird anyway? That's just weird!"

"It's… he's my spirit," Lelouch said. "I've recently contracted him. And I wasn't exactly up to doing much besides finding a place to sleep after coming to Lugnica. Mathers left the mansion and the candidate Emilia all but dragged me back to the capital with her."

"Don't you have that weird spell now?" she asked, still sounding annoyed. "You could've called for us! You nearly died!"

She put emphasis on the last part, and Lelouch was honestly grateful that there were people who worry about him to such a degree. He nodded at her. "The spell reaches you no matter where you are, even in the bathroom. It's rather hard finding the right time for it."

"Don't pretend you don't wanna see Reinhard in the bath," Felt said dismissively. He didn't want to, and he already did. She leaned backwards until she fell over, her back on the bed, facing the ceiling. "This _is_ pretty comfortable, I guess I get why you left the mansion."

Flügel fluttered towards her, sitting down next to her and tilting his head. "You really do look like them, you know?"

"Like who?" Felt asked, picking up the bird and lifting him up in front of her. Flügel didn't complain.

"The Lugnica royal family," Flügel said. Felt scoffed and threw the bird aside. He floated up instead of landing somewhere, and Lelouch took a seat on his desk.

"You knew them?" she asked. "Everyone keeps telling me how I look just like them, some of the nobles try to be all buddy-buddy with me. 'Oh, Lady Felt, if only you could behave more dignified'. 'Oh, Lady Felt, I have a son around your age, would you like to have his babies and make me rich?'"

"I doubt that's something a noble said," Lelouch said.

"It sounds like that. I grew up in a mud pit of a ghetto, but I'm not stupid," Felt said, sounding very agitated. "The old man taught me a lot of things. Lately he's not really been around, though."

"Where is he?"

"Off with that other old man, the guy from the Karsten family. Reinhard's grandpa."

"Are you worried of him leaving you?" Lelouch asked. Felt shook her head a bit too quickly.

"No, I know he'd never do that, it's just…" She bit her lip, unwilling to open up about this to him. Rather than push the issue, Lelouch respected her decision and just shrugged. "So, stupid bird is a spirit?"

"I'm not stupid," Flügel said. "I am the almighty Alchiba, spirit of the white void, accumulation of the moonlight-"

"A very annoying spirit," Lelouch agreed. "Who unlocked the door so quietly to let you ambush me and kick me out of the bed."

Flügel's outraged comment was cut off when a window opened in front of Felt. She blinked a few times before squinting, leaning forward. The window moved away, staying a certain distance away from her head.

"Lady Felt!" Reinhard said loudly. "I was worried when I couldn't find you in the castle. Where are you? Are you safe?"

"Don't worry too much," Felt said, waving him off. "I'm on Lelouch's bed right now. It's pretty comfortable."

Lelouch's eyebrow twitched. He couldn't just take away her fun, but depending on where Reinhard currently was, rumors could spread.

"Oh," Reinhard said, sighing in relief. "Okay, if you're with him, then there's no need to worry. I'll come pick you up in a bit."

"That's it?" Felt asked. "No reaction? I'm in the bed of a guy? Someone you like very much? Isn't that against some brotherly code?"

Reinhard was quiet and Lelouch just shook his head at the rather shameful display. When Felt jumped up and walked towards him, Lelouch raised a hand to stop her.

"We're going to kiss," Felt declared. "To make Reinhard jealous."

"I can hear you," Reinhard said. "And I don't mind. I think Lelouch would treat you right."

"You're no fun! Absolutely none!" Felt shouted, waving her hand through the window. It vanished. Felt stared at Lelouch, and the former emperor stared back. The blank staring was interrupted when Flügel settled on Lelouch's still outstretched arm.

"So, are you gonna do it?"

She kicked the bird. "Be glad I don't have my knives with me."

Lowering his arm again, Lelouch sighed. During all the excitement, he forgot that the door was still wide open, though they weren't really loud enough to make everyone aware of the topic of their conversation until the last moment where Felt decided to shout. When Lelouch stood up, a window opened in front of him.

Giving Flügel, who was doing his best impression of a dead bird on the ground, a glance, Lelouch mentally made a note to ask him how to give the spell an 'accept' and 'decline' function. Maybe he should introduce something that announced the caller by name too. The window split open and revealed the face of the young knight he met just yesterday.

"Good morning, Sir Julius," Lelouch said, sounding as polite as possible. "Is something the matter?"

Felt was making gagging noises behind him, and Lelouch could see the glance towards her by the knight of Hoshin. He didn't look amused.

"Good morning," Julius greeted. "Lady Hoshin has asked me to inform you that moving towards Kararagi seems currently impossible. The White Whale has been sighted on the road towards the port and it usually takes a few weeks to assure clearance."

"That's unfortunate," Lelouch said. The White Whale has been something he was curious about, but the information on it has been sparse. Considering the lack of historical works and the amount of children's books containing such facts, that wasn't much of a surprise. Lelouch would have to dig the brain of his spirit later. "If at all possible, I'd still like to meet with her in another setting."

Unfortunate didn't even begin to describe it. It'd leave him in a situation similar to the one he was with Crusch, where their first meeting would leave the candidate in a less optimal mood. Yet, complaining about the presence of the White Whale was like complaining about rain falling after the news said it'd be sunny all week.

That is, complaining wasn't going to make it go away.

"That is why I've contacted you," Julius admitted. "If it's not too much of a bother, Lady Hoshin would like to invite you to join her for dinner tonight. She has reserved a table in a popular restaurant near the city's center on short notice and didn't wish for the opportunity to pass by."

"Food?" Felt asked behind him. "Hey, Lelouch, tell him I'm coming too!"

Before Lelouch could say anything, Julius laughed slightly, clearly expecting the rival candidate to say something. "Of course, I've heard of your friendship with Reinhard and Lady Felt, he's a good friend of mine as well. You're welcome to join us."

This could go both ways. Felt was a rival, but not one that most people took seriously, not even the other candidates. Even Emilia seemed less concerned about Felt's presence than the other three candidates when they came up in a conversation.

"We'll be there," Lelouch decided. "Thank you for informing me, Sir Julius."

"It was my pleasure."

The window vanished when Julius' hand moved through it on his side, and Lelouch was left in the room with the princess who was picking her ear and the spirit that was still not moving off the ground.

"Alchiba, come," Lelouch ordered. Flügel stood up immediately and flew towards Lelouch's head, turning into the hairpin without much hesitation. "I'm not sure when Reinhard will arrive, Felt, do you want some tea? A snack perhaps?"

Besides the furniture, Lelouch had an assortment of various teas. There wasn't much one could store without buying a fancy water-magic enchanted fridge, and Lelouch wasn't really the kind of person to cook, so he didn't need one either. Felt shook her head, staring at the hairpin instead.

"You know, if you grew out your hair, I'm sure you'd make a pretty girl," Felt decided.

For once, Lelouch could appreciate the fact that there was someone who could just ignore all tension and political implications to make fun of him. The voice of Flügel rang out in his mind, announcing she wasn't wrong.

And then the witch voiced her approval. Lelouch suppressed a grimace as the sudden cold pain that stabbed through his brain. She had been awfully quiet since the confrontation with Betelgeuse, too busy doing whatever she was doing to the Archbishop's soul, Lelouch assumed.

Only a few minutes later, Reinhard knocked on the door. Opening it for him, Lelouch greeted him with a soft smile. "Hello, Reinhard, it's been a while."

"Yes," Reinhard said, smiling back. "I apologize if Lady Felt has been burdening you."

"I'm right here," Felt muttered, crossing her arms. "And Lelouch and me are really good friends, he's even gonna treat me to dinner today."

"You are?" Reinhard asked.

"I am?" Lelouch asked Felt. Rather than let her continue, he just turned back to Reinhard. "Anastasia Hoshin invited me for dinner later today, and Felt decided to invite herself. Sir Julius didn't mind."

"Of course he didn't." Reinhard sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I heard you've not really hit off that well yesterday. He can be a bit hard to connect to, but he's actually a good person at heart."

"I don't doubt that." Lelouch didn't. If he was someone handpicked by Marcos, Lelouch didn't doubt that Lady Hoshin's sworn sword had his sense of duty and honor as a knight, which Lelouch had threatened with his questions about his loyalty. "I'll try to get to know him better."

"Oh my," Felt said, fanning herself with one hand. Her voice was in the mocking tone of someone who was imitating someone haughty so badly that they were obviously just making fun of them. Somehow, with her appearance so closely related, it still reminded Lelouch of Priscilla Barielle. "Two knights rather than one, oh my, will it stop at a menage a trois, or is there nothing that can satisfy Lelouch Lamperouge's inhuman desire?"

Lelouch snorted. She pointed an accusing finger at him, looking incredibly satisfied with herself.

"You laughed," she said. Lelouch shook his head.

"I would never do something as undignified as laugh at such a dirty joke," Lelouch denied smoothly, smiling at the princess. "Unless of course the esteemed Lady Felt ordered me to."

"No, you definitely laughed, Reinhard, tell him," she said. Reinhard smiled at her, shaking his head slightly. "Come on! I order you to say it!"

"Ordering him won't mean anything if he would lie to you," Lelouch said. Felt growled, glaring up at the tall young men. Reinhard clapped his hands together.

"Of course, eating dinner with another candidate means that you'll have to dress the part," Reinhard declared. Felt paled slightly. She had a deal, and if there was anything that the urchin-turned-princess would never do, that'd be breaking a deal. That, and passing up a chance to line her pockets with gold. Lelouch waved them goodbye.

* * *

Hours later, Lelouch had mostly finished cleaning up Felt's mess.

The center of the city was without a doubt a place for the more wealthy people. The shops included various clothing stores and just as many restaurants which looked not too different to those he was familiar with. Lelouch met up with Reinhard and Felt near the restaurant. The latter was dressed in a pale yellow summer dress, while her knight had decided to come in the most formal clothes he had - his Royal Guard uniform.

Reinhard knew which restaurant, probably by talking to Julius on the way there, and led them inside. It looked like a high-class restaurant, it smelled like one too. And the people pretended that their gazes were not solely on them when they walked in. Approaching the table where Anastasia Hoshin was sitting with Julius and a child with huge animal ears on the top of her head, Lelouch gave the candidate a bow.

"Thank you for your invitation, Lady Hoshin," Lelouch said. Reinhard bowed as well, and Felt gave the most formal bow she could - a mocking courteous one. Anastasia looked amused. Julius didn't.

"Don't be too formal," she said, winking at Felt when they were all seated. "I don't think we've met yet, Lady Felt was it?"

"Don't be too formal," Felt mirrored the words of her rival. Anastasia simply nodded.

"Felt, then," Anastasia decided. "Sir Reinhard and Sir Lelouch, thank you for coming today. Let me introduce the new face on the table-"

"I'm Mimi!" the little girl said, raising her hand wide in the air. She was probably half Felt's age. Give or take one or two years. None of the nobles nearby hid their disdain, but nobody said anything. "I'm a mercenary!"

Lelouch blinked. Someone that young? Anastasia closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair slightly as she put her hands over her lap.

"She's the vice-commander of the Fang of Iron," Julius explained. "An impressive demi-human mercenary group. Though she's young, I assure you she's quite capable."

"I'll take your word for it," Lelouch said, taking a look around. Anastasia Hoshin and Felt. Besides the obvious issue that most people took with Emilia, these two candidates were the ones least likely to get any support from nobles inside Lugnica. The foreigner and the urchin couldn't be any more different, yet somehow started in the same position.

While nobles would flock to the former without any issue if they think they could earn something from it, nobody had anything positive to say about Felt, nor did Felt have anything positive to say about anyone besides Reinhard. A man approached, handing the six of them the menu and leaving them alone to choose.

The young girl was kicking her legs back and forth, Lelouch could see it simply from the way her entire body moved in the chair. The big menu was held straight on the table, hiding her head when she leaned over it. It was a somewhat funny display. Someone he knew once would have liked it.

Lelouch grabbed his head, trying to do his best to make the motion look natural when a cold pain pierced through his skull again. Shaking his head and trying to ignore it, Lelouch simply ordered something randomly, unable to gather his thoughts right.

"So, Lelouch, I'm curious," Anastasia began. He looked up to her, the pain subsiding and leaving him with a smile that looked only slightly strained. "I heard that after I left, Captain Marcos invited you to join the Royal Guard."

Only Reinhard and Felt looked surprised at the news. Russell told the candidate about it, Lelouch was sure of it. She, in turn, would've told Julius. The man didn't look happy about it, but then again, he had a better control over his expressions than most. If he was feeling anything strong about it, Julius certainly wouldn't show it this blatantly.

"He did?" Reinhard asked. "He didn't tell me-"

"It's not something he wanted to spread, because I refused," Lelouch said. Reinhard frowned.

"You refused?" Reinhard asked, sounding flabbergasted. "But why? The Royal Guard is the most prestigious knight order of Lugnica!"

"I have my reasons, he knows them and has extended the offer for as long as I need, until I can dedicate myself fully to the kingdom," Lelouch answered evasively. Reinhard nodded, accepting the answer while Felt instead hit him strongly on his back.

"Aye! Fuck that shit!" she said, the crude words obviously heard by most people in vicinity. Honestly, Lelouch wanted to see them try to throw Felt out. It'd be something amusing to see without a doubt. "Who needs knight orders, huh?"

"Though I understand your disdain for nobility and knights," Reinhard said, turning his gaze to Felt. Lelouch could see the carefully crafted facade of Julius slipping for just a moment, turning from irritation into outright animosity. "There are some of us who have joined the knights to leave things behind. Please don't disrespect the decisions to join, even if you dislike the people."

Felt looked unhappy at being chastised, and it looked like even Reinhard, with the patience of a saint, had certain things that he'd not even let his mistress get away with saying. Though the girl was stubborn and always confrontative, she nodded, and to Lelouch's surprise, inclined her head towards Julius in the most formal gesture he had ever seen her do.

"I apologize for my words," she said. While she had obviously practiced the words, she did sound genuine.

"I accept your apology, yet there's no need to apologize to someone such as me," Julius said. Anastasia looked like she'd disagree. "Nor do I need someone to shield me from words, Reinhard. It is as if you ought to be the knight of everyone from the way you throw yourself headfirst into any conflict, verbal and physical."

"Ahaha," the red-haired knight chuckled nervously, rubbing the side of his neck. "I apologize, it's more for the sake of teaching her than it is for yours."

Julius looked satisfied with the answer. It was obvious to Lelouch that those two were friends, beyond just the normal camaraderie of knights in the same order.

"Say, Felt," Anastasia began, trying to lift the mood with her positive attitude. "I'm curious about something."

"Huh?" was Felt's undignified answer. Anastasia continued unfettered.

"Would you tell me what your plans are if you became queen?"

"No clue," Felt said. Anastasia's smile slipped and her face turned into the positively charming image of a fish out of water. Leaning over the table, one elbow on it and her head propped up on her hand, the blonde continued dispassionately. "I didn't have much of a choice with Reinhard deciding for me, but Lelouch convinced me to try, at least."

"To try what?" Anastasia asked, giving Lelouch a glance. He was smiling. He was always smiling when he didn't know what other expression to make. A smile was charming, disarming. So when she glanced at him with the eyes of a vulture looking to grab its prey and snap its neck on impact, he smiled.

"If I'm queen, I can fix the things I don't like, right?" Felt asked. Anastasia nodded. "Even among the poor people, some are more lucky than others. I was raised by someone, I have a blessing that lets me move faster than anyone. There's people who grow up alone, with barely enough food to survive the month. I want to change that."

For a moment, Lelouch could see the eyes of the predator that was Anastasia Hoshin flash in something that he could only describe as 'recognition'. Perhaps 'nostalgia'. It was as if she gazed upon something that made her remember a fond memory, and she clapped her hands together.

"A noble goal!" she said. "I agree!"

"You do?" Felt asked, surprised. Anastasia nodded, and Julius smiled at his mistress' vigor. Mimi had her head on the table, groaning at the lack of food so long after placing their order.

"I grew up like you," Anastasia said. "Then, I took the odd jobs for the Hoshin company. It took me a while, but I worked myself up. These are the kind of things that not everyone can do. Some have luck, some have sheer determination. If you want to help people benefit from you becoming queen, I'm sure you'd do a wonderful job!"

Felt blinked, mirroring Anastasia's earlier expression with her mouth wide open. "You know, I think we might get better along than I thought. Anastasia, right?"

"Yes," the woman from Kararagi smiled, not bothered that Felt didn't seem to recall her name. While Felt and Anastasia began bonding, Julius instead turned his attention back to Reinhard and Lelouch.

"Could you bring Alchiba forth?" Julius requested. Reinhard looked curious about the spirit as well, but said nothing. "There was something I was curious about."

"I'm not sure if a bird on the dinner table would really be appropriate," Lelouch said. Flügel disagreed and instead appeared on the table, vanishing from Lelouch's hair. It was preferable to having him turn into a person to sit down with them. "Very well."

Anastasia gave the bird a glance before returning to her conversation with Felt. Julius inclined his head at the bird.

"What'dya need," the great and powerful Yang spirit said, sounding as groggy as a kid that was just woken up from a nap. A nap that took hours and still didn't leave them energized.

"I wished to ask something that my spirits brought up yesterday," Julius said. Spirits. Plural. Lelouch kept listening. "There are six great elemental spirits, right?"

Alchiba nodded. That was news to Lelouch. "Indeed, what about them?"

"Though I only really know one of them," Julius said, sounding sceptic. "I also know the names of the others. Ariel the Wind Spirit, Puck the Water Spirit, Miranda the Earth Spirit, Oberon the Fire Spirit, Umbriel the Yin Spirit… and Titania, the Yang Spirit."

"Oh," Flügel said, his beak opening slightly. "Oh."

"Yes, I admit," Julius continued, shrugging. "When a spirit capable of changing his form appeared, claiming to be a great spirit under the name of Alchiba, I checked again, yet I could find no mention of you. Which means you're either Titania, hiding your name, or you're something else entirely."

Through the mental connection Lelouch had with his spirit, he could hear Flügel's voice call out. There used to be more great spirits back in the day, but only the 'greatest' survived the onslaught of the Witch of Envy. For all intents and purposes, time only started after Satella, and before that, things are unknown.

The fact that Puck was actually one of the six 'greatest' spirits alive did make Lelouch reconsider Emilia's role, however. Perhaps that is where Mathers' interest comes from?

"Or perhaps," Flügel said, sounding uncommonly serious for once. "I'm a coward who has hidden himself from the time before the Witch of Envy killed all the other great spirits."

Julius nodded. He couldn't tell if Flügel was lying, and in Lelouch's opinion, a half-truth like that was as good as the full one.

"Yours are born of the world," Flügel continued. "Spirits like that don't die, but they're relatively numerous. Your blessing allows you to find where they've hidden themselves, inside trees, as spirits of puddles and rain, in the ashes of a fireplace. Things like me, we can vanish if we're destroyed."

"I understand, I apologize for my insensitiveness," Julius said.

Finally, the food was served. Lelouch felt his headache growing.


	18. The Queen of Cold

**Chapter 18: The Queen of Cold**

* * *

As someone who had grown accustomed to accepting the blame for things, Lelouch felt that he had grown into the kind of person that wasn't too dissimilar to how Flügel perceived him. Yet, the words of the captain still rang through his mind; they rang true.

Despite being in a new world, as far removed from everyone he once knew, and only connected to them through a threat he had received by a Witch of all things, Lelouch felt at ease with being the focus of that woman's goals. After taking the animosity of an entire world and playing his part in dragging it to hell with him, he now took the focus of someone who claimed to be capable of accessing that same world he had worked on turning peaceful.

Though he found himself growing attached.

Perhaps, a part of his mind reminded him, the knowledge that he could never return without throwing his sister's world into chaos was enough. He met people that he could call friends. There was no empire to overthrow, no people to manipulate into his bidding. All there was were the enemies of the people, the Witch Cult that was hated by everyone.

"Is it that bad?" Flügel asked, reading his thoughts. "Growing attached, I mean. I don't think it is."

"Perhaps so," Lelouch agreed reluctantly. "Yet it comes with the feeling that every conversation I have is an attempt at making people my pawns. It's been a while since I last began to trust someone as I trust Reinhard now."

"I can't really blame you with him," Flügel said. "There's not one dishonest fiber in his being. If anything, you've become his friend rather than the other way around due to him being that good with people."

"Friendship on false pretenses, I needed him to save the candidates, it helped me along in gaining a foothold with the nobles," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "And I don't regret that. There's other ways I could've gone, but…"

"I told you before, Lelouch," Flügel began, the bird was lying on his bed again, taking the form of a young boy while reading one of the child story books. He lay on his back, holding the book up high. "There's kindness in selflessness. If you killed yourself to achieve that result, I don't think that's a selfish action at all."

"You assume I'd have saved them even if I had nothing to gain from it," Lelouch drawled. "I can assure you that's not true."

"Is it true now?"

Lelouch didn't have an answer. Flügel made a satisfied noise. "You're justifying your every action as something bad to achieve a further goal because you feel guilty, just like Marcos said."

"And you make it sound like I'm actually a good person."

Flügel laughed. It sounded as childish was it was appropriate for that form of his. "No, far from it. If anything, you remind me of Reid."

"Reid?" Lelouch asked.

"The Sword Saint, Reid Astraea, back before they had that fancy 'van' in their name," Flügel answered. "He was the kind of person who took his power for granted, rude yet loyal to a fault. I feel that if he had never married, you might be the one most compatible with his genes."

"This world is volatile and dangerous. Genes, Authorities," Lelouch said. "The worst we had were the Codes. The Geass."

"I disagree," Flügel said. "That's the worst kind of magic you had. I find that in technology, the monstrosity that was our world has far surpassed this world in how dangerous it is."

"I'm not sure," Lelouch disagreed. There wasn't a measuring contest on whose world was less dangerous. For Lelouch, it was thinking about something capable of destroying Pandora, whose authority could stop attacks and words on a worldwide scale. If she wanted to make herself invisible to the strongest bombs, she could, he didn't doubt that. "Things like Pandora and even spirits that could rival Satella enough to survive her insanity might be too much for even us."

"It's a zero sum. In the event that everyone wants to blow each other up, nobody survives," Flügel muttered. "But you're right, these machines in your memories might be capable of fighting knights without a problem, mages might be mowed down by the fast guns, but things like Pandora and spirits such as Puck don't operate on the same principles. They twist the world simply by existing."

"So the only thing that can get rid of her is something that can defeat her magic," Lelouch muttered. "So we're back to square one."

In front of him was the diary. Unyielding. Flügel's memories were about people. About magic. But the details were only in this book. When Lelouch read him the pages, Flügel laughed, sighed and cried. The memories of the cheap copy that was his spirit were in pieces, but he could find solace in the writings of his old self.

"I know you think the spell is in there," Flügel said. "But I think I wouldn't have put it somewhere like that. If you were to design a spell capable of sealing a witch, would you just write it down somewhere and be done with it?"

"You did it with a spell that suppressed Satella's powers, and it worked on Betelgeuse too."

"It shouldn't have worked on him," Flügel waved him off. "Maybe the authorities which she took were somewhat tainted by her mana, so it definitely wouldn't work on Pandora. And just look at you!"

Lelouch didn't need a mirror to know what he meant. Lelouch had been pale, maybe he had grown ill due to the lack of tension in his body that came from the non-stop barrage of attacks on his life. Flügel had another theory.

"Despite being sealed away, she has such an influence on you. She can kill you if she wants, she can probably kill people _near_ you if she wants. And you can't die. If there's someone capable of killing Pandora, it would be Satella, maybe you could use that to your advantage."

"I would never." Lelouch grimaced. "The risk of her escaping and becoming capable of doing what Pandora threatened to do with my world is too high."

"You have no evidence of that," Flügel reminded him. Though it was obvious he wasn't serious in his suggestion, Lelouch felt himself grow irritated with the spirit. Suggestions like that were worse than no suggestions at all.

"I don't need evidence to know why it'd be a _bad idea_ unsealing the monster that killed your _wife_ ," Lelouch said, grinding his teeth. Flügel let the book drop into his face, his arms crossing over it.

"Low blow," he said. The muffled voice from beneath the book sounded resigned. "If she's actually capable of accessing your world, and we have no evidence of that because it's very obvious that the conditions which drag someone into this world are _very_ hard to define considering you, me and that knight you were talking about…"

"Yes?"

"I kinda lost myself in thought for a second. What were we talking about?" When he heard Lelouch's irritated sigh echo through the room once more, he was quick to continue. "If she's capable of doing something like that, why hasn't she done so already?"

"You mean 'why hasn't she dragged someone important to me here'?" Lelouch asked. Flügel nodded, though the motion was greatly diminished by the book on his face. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person to make empty threats, though. She'd have to follow up on them if we don't agree on her conditions."

"There might be a hundred reasons. A limitation, perhaps. A bluff, because the only way she could have that power would be by unsealing Satella. Or maybe, she's capable but wishes to avoid that for some reason."

"I can think of a clear reason," Lelouch said, furrowing his brow. "People who come here, they seem to have a big impact, don't they? You became the Sage, that man Aldebaran found himself in the service of a mighty Yang mage and candidate. I have Satella cursing me and you as a spirit. She might be afraid of what the person might be able to do."

"It might be why she didn't face you directly," Flügel said, pushing the book off his face and turning towards Lelouch. "She sent Betelgeuse. When you destroy the diary in the loop you told me about, Betelgeuse had captured you, so you were no threat to her. But now you've killed an Archbishop, she might be worried that you're already capable of casting the great seal."

Lelouch's grin split his face as a predatory gleam entered his eyes. "So she might be capable of attacking the world… but she can't just drag someone in because she's afraid that they could receive a power that can let them equal her?"

Flügel nodded. "Which means that she'll also keep her distance from you, afraid of what you're capable. She'll send more Archbishops. They'll be very obviously aiming to capture you. If one of them is capable of doing exactly that, the entire threat leaves, and she can make true on her promise to you."

Which meant that as long as he didn't lose to an Archbishop, Pandora couldn't touch him.

It also meant that if he relied on someone much more powerful than him to take care of the threat, Pandora might think she overestimated him. Lelouch shook his head. That was unimportant, all he had to do was present a situation in which it looked like he was the one responsible.

The gleeful mood that was shared by Lelouch and Flügel vanished immediately when someone knocked on the door. Rather than worry about opening the door with a sword in his hand, Lelouch called out.

"Who is this?"

"It's a surprise! You got three guesses and the first one doesn't count!" Puck's voice echoed. Flügel transformed into a big bird and floated over to the door, opening the lock with his beak and pulling the door open. One of the earlier blank spots on the early pages turned open in the diary. Lelouch took a brief glance over the description of a spell that could lock and unlock doors based on the mana of a person and closed the book immediately, standing up from his desk and giving a small bow to the arrivals.

"Hello, Emilia, Puck," Lelouch greeted. Puck was standing in his own big form, standing about as tall as Emilia. Not to be outdone, Flügel shrunk slightly to be on eye level with the visitors.

"Ah! I must've gotten the false address! We're looking for a man without a spirit!" Puck said. Emilia pushed forward, moving around her spirit to bow to Flügel and give Lelouch a smile.

"Hello, Lelouch," she greeted. "You found a spirit to contract? That's wonderful!"

She sounded happy for him. Puck, however, looked rather suspicious.

"Who made you?" the ice-spirit asked.

"Ah!" Flügel said. Lelouch blinked. Puck pointed at him, echoing the same noise, though making it sound more like a question. "I am Alchiba, spirit of the starry skies, born of sunlight-"

"I meant who made you," Puck interrupted. "You're like Beatrice, aren't you?"

Lelouch gave the cat a glance before moving to the door. "Please, come in. I don't have a lot of furniture yet, but please make yourself at home."

Puck floated, turning small again. When Flügel did the same and settled on Lelouch's shoulder, Puck mirrored him and sat on Emilia's. The candidate took a seat on his bed, the book that Flügel was reading sitting on it. The page that was open described the atrocities of the Witch of Envy.

Coughing slightly, he quickly took the book, closing it and putting it on his desk. He knew Emilia had seen it, but if she was bothered by it, she didn't show it.

"Made him?" Lelouch asked. "I didn't know spirits could be made."

Sitting down in the chair he was in while he was holding his conversation with Flügel, Lelouch did his best to sound oblivious. Emilia nodded.

"I was surprised when I heard about it too," Emilia said. "Apparently some people are capable of creating spirits by giving them a piece of their soul and mana! Spirit contracts with your own mana are impossible to keep up, though."

"So one can't just force themselves into the role of the spirit mage," Lelouch concluded. Emilia nodded. "I apologize for my abrupt exit when we arrived in the capital. I had to set this place up first before I met with the castle to discuss the spell being distributed. The day after that I met with Anastasia Hoshin."

"It's alright!" Emilia said. "I understand! And, Hoshin was it? I haven't really heard a lot about her. I know she's from Kararagi and I'm acquaintances with her knight, Julius. I heard she took over the company when she was young and renamed after her."

"She's quite the character." Lelouch nodded. "Though I didn't know the company had a different name before. I always thought she renamed herself after the company when she took over."

Though now that he has met her, it made more sense. Someone that prideful wouldn't make herself into 'Hoshin'. Instead, she'd take Hoshin and make it 'hers'.

"Who made you?" Puck repeated. "I felt your presence when we took Lelouch here to the capital. Did you have your contract then already?"

"I sealed the contract while I was unconscious," Lelouch said. Spirits were capable of entering people's bodies, he knew. Though unless one was willing or the spirit was strong, it might have negative effects on them. "Alchiba said he has lived near the Sanctuary."

"That'd explain it," Puck said, sounding convinced for once. "I don't really have much to do there. They're a rowdy bunch."

Flügel simply nodded, not saying anything, as if afraid that he'd be found out if he said the wrong thing. Puck was an old spirit, Lelouch knew. One of the oldest, if Julius was to be believed.

"I wanted to invite you," Emilia said. Lelouch nodded for her to continue. "There is a big event today in the castle. The five candidates will meet for the first time and proclaim their intention to become the next ruler."

She looked down, fidgeting with her fingers. Lelouch nodded again, speaking up this time. "I don't mind, though I'm not sure if my presence as a commoner and servant of no candidate would be welcome there."

"Sir Marcos gave the okay," Emilia said. Lady Felt wanted to invite you herself, but Sir Reinhard and her had something coming up. Sir Reinhard asked me to go in his stead because he felt that such an invitation should be given in person."

"I understand." Flügel transformed into the hairpin and attached himself to Lelouch's hair when Lelouch bowed, obviously uncomfortable with Puck's presence for some reason, in spite of his previously boisterous attitude. Deciding to question the Yang spirit later, Lelouch smiled at the half-elf. "I accept the invitation. Though I do wonder what my place there would be."

"The captain said that someone who had a duty to fulfil should be well acquainted with the Royal Guard, nobility and possible rulers," Emilia repeated the words of the captain, subconsciously copying his rather stern tone. "I don't really understand what he meant by that, but I was told you were invited to join the Royal Guard?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, yet I cannot join in good conscience right now, due to other duties."

Captain Marcos thought he wanted to destroy the witch cult due to regretting his past actions. Loyal as the man was to the country, he understood that giving Lelouch some help in presenting him to everyone, perhaps even call him by the title that was granted to him after the fight inside the Geis was beneficial to that plan.

The Witch Cult were a blight that had to be exterminated.

"I believe that we should not arrive at the same time, however," Lelouch said. Emilia nodded, understanding.

"We couldn't give them the wrong impression," Emilia agreed. Worry was etched on her voice. "They're not going to like me, are they? The stigma of my appearance…"

"It is in times like these that we surprise ourselves the most, Emilia," Lelouch said. "Stand proud and proclaim your intentions to them as you did to me, and no one will doubt that you're worthy of standing next to the others. If anything, I have the feeling that Lady Felt might be the one who faces an uphill struggle like yours."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," Lelouch said. "Though I've heard of this situation be described as both selection and election interchangeably, I'm not sure just how the next queen will be decided. If I had to guess, however, you'd have to prove yourself to be the one that will do her best for the kingdom."

No matter what the nobles or the sages will say, if she can't stand up for herself, she had no place in this selection. If she was only to be used as a stepping stone by the other candidates to surpass themselves, Lelouch wouldn't help her.

But he was impressed by her conviction. By her demand of equality. It was the same fire burning in her eyes that Euphemia had when she pushed for the special administration.

"It is impressive," Lelouch said. "That you have a contract with one of the six great spirits."

"Six?" Emilia asked. Puck blinked. "There are only four-"

"No, he's right," Puck said. "There are six. The other two aren't really common knowledge. I recall that they were both spirits of someone that the world would rather forget."

That was news, again. Julius obviously should know, his blessing, as Flügel described it, allowed him to talk with spirits and understand them in a way that nobody else could. Puck didn't tell Emilia for a reason. That reason could only be one thing. He didn't want her to find out who had those two spirits as contracts.

"Who was it?" Emilia asked. Lelouch grimaced, deciding to answer for the spirit that looked unhappy with the conversation.

"The Witch," Lelouch said. Flügel hummed, as if the memory was just returning to him. Emilia flinched. "So the four great spirits are what is public knowledge, and the six are only known to the few who have spirits themselves?"

Puck nodded. "It's not really something we like to talk about. Alchiba probably didn't know, being an artificial spirit. Most of them were created after the great catastrophe."

"Perhaps we should speak about this topic another time," Lelouch said, glancing at Emilia who suddenly looked resigned again. "I apologize for bringing it up. When Julius revealed to me that Puck was one of those great six, I was wondering just how anyone could doubt your presence in the castle."

"You're right," Emilia said. She looked up again, slapping her cheeks twice. "I'll not let anyone doubt me!"

She would either show that she was capable of standing on the same ground as the other four…

Or she would crash and burn. Lelouch couldn't tell which it would be, but he knew that the meeting would be very interesting either way.

Puck was nodding at Lelouch, appreciating the pep talk. Flügel was humming more.

' _You still pretend that you did this to further your own goals,'_ his voice rang out in Lelouch's head. _'I don't think that's true at all.'_

Lelouch ignored him.

* * *

Lelouch arrived at the castle and was led towards the throne room. He arrived early enough to see most of the nobles and knights arrive after him. Most of them didn't pay him much attention, though he could see Tristan's face among the nobles, greeting him with a smile, yet not approaching him.

Lelouch was given a place among the knights to the left of the room, while the nobles stood on the right. When all of them turned to face each other, and then turned towards the doors, Lelouch followed suit, watching as Crusch Karsten arrived with Felix in tow.

She gave him a glance as she passed him, stopping in front of the platform that held three thrones. Miklotov was sitting in one, a younger bald man sat in another, while the third was occupied by an elderly man that looked somewhere between the ages of Miklotov an the bald one. The Sages of the council, Lelouch assumed, would lead the proceedings. Crusch bowed to the Sages while Felix took a place next to Lelouch.

"Oh my, I didn't think we'd meet each other so soon," Felix said. "The hero who fought an Archbishop and won, what an honor."

Though Felix tried to sound teasing, the young man's feminine voice made it sound… different. The kind of voice that made some of the knights turn red in the face. Lelouch shrugged, giving Felix a smile.

"What can I say, I like the decor here too much," Lelouch said. "I understand that your mistress is rather unhappy with me."

"Well, considering what you did, you just made her suspicions grow," Felix admitted. "But right now I think she's just seeing you as a puzzle she wants to solve. Ah, my dear Lady Karsten so taken by a man~"

Lelouch chuckled. The doors opened again and Anastasia walked in, followed by Julius. She gave Lelouch a small nod as she passed, and Julius took his place next to them. Instead of striking up a conversation with them, Julius simply glanced towards the door again, and Emilia walked in a second afterwards.

The one that accompanied her was Mathers. Roswaal was dressed in his usual outfit, with the usual makeup, and Emilia didn't even glance at Lelouch as she walked up to the Sages, bowing to them. She had steel in her eyes and posture. Roswaal had a carefully crafted facade on him, but something was going on with him.

"This isn't good," Felix muttered. Emilia's appearance made the room explode into mutters, the nobles especially loud in their vicious conversations. Though some people seemed to complain about Anastasia as much as they did about Emilia.

"No, look," Julius said, smiling at the silver-haired girl. "She has something planned."

Lelouch nodded. She was unyielding. Unwavering. The only thing that made her turn was the loud steps of the next candidate arriving. Priscilla walked in, her head held high, dressed in the finest red dress that showed off an impressive amount of cleavage as she took her place next to the others, not giving the Sages a bow.

Aldebaran stepped next to Lelouch. "Yo, Lelouch."

Lelouch gave him a nod, not trusting himself to speak just yet. He gathered his thoughts for a moment and turned his head up, glancing at the man who hid his head with the helmet. "Is that outfit appropriate for such a setting?"

"Eh, it's not like I care," Aldebaran said. "Nor does the lady. I want to apologize."

"For what?"

"I upset you the last time we spoke," Aldebaran said. "Someone that someone like me should never do, out of respect to your mother."

"You're upsetting me once more by bringing her up," Lelouch said, narrowing his eyes. The man knew things, but he didn't know everything. If he gave him the right kind of information, Priscilla wouldn't be as effective if she ever decided to threaten him with what she knew. "My mother has died. My father was responsible."

Aldebaran made a choked noise. Lelouch didn't mind bringing it up here. Aldebaran would tell Priscilla, while the other knights would tell their own mistresses. It gave them 'something'. Information, however sparse, kept people wondering. He wasn't sure what Crusch would do with it, but he knew that with what Anastasia knew of him, the trading company's owner wouldn't bother him with it.

"Ah," Aldebaran said. "Typical."

The masked man sounded bitter. Lelouch just ignored him. Eventually, Felt arrived.

Her arrival was accompanied by her incredibly distinct scowling expression. If there was ever a face that clearly said 'I don't want to be here', then that was it. Reinhard, the knight and servant, trailed behind her dutifully. Just like Priscilla before her, she put herself in front of the Sages and gave not a sign of acknowledgment to them. The whispers grew louder.

"Though the information is not widespread, the rumors are true, as you are all aware," Sir Marcos stepped forward, silencing the entire hall as Reinhard took his spot in the front row of the knights, rather than near Lelouch and the others. "Half a year ago, all of the royal family died, succumbing to the same disease. It is in times like these, when Lugnica is threatened to fall into ruin, that the Dragon aids us. The Dragon prophecy stone that was left behind by it gave us the instructions to turn pieces of it into five emblems. All of them have eventually found themselves in the hands of the candidates."

Prophecy stone? Lelouch would have to ask about that later on. The candidates stood in the front, raising the emblems. The shining red light illuminated the Sages for a moment before Miklotov nodded.

"All five of them pass the requirement to be the next Dragon shrine maiden," he said. "And thus are capable of continuing the covenant with the Dragon by taking up the mantle of the queen. The topic of our discussion today is simple. It is the proclamation of ideologies. I wish for all candidates to step forward and give us their reason to stand here."

"I will go first." Crusch announced. She did, with raised head and deliberate steps, she put herself in the front of the room, turning on her heel to face the assembled knights and nobles. In that motion, she pulled the sword she had on her back off and planted it on the ground in front of her, both of her hands on the hilt. "Ferris!"

Felix stepped forward, taking his place next to his candidate.

"Very well," Marcos said, raising his voice. "The first candidate to make their speech will be Crusch Karsten, and her knight Felix Argyle!"

Crusch stared at them. Her eyes were calculative. Piercing. Her gaze lingered not one second over the other candidates, and instead hung over the head of the nobles as if she was staring at insects.

"As introduced," Crusch began. "I am the Duchess Karsten, head of the House Karsten, the oldest family of this kingdom as cousins to the royal family."

Without a doubt the favorite. Lelouch could see the nobles cower in front of her gaze.

"My family influenced the politics of this kingdom and has aided the royal family in their every need," Crush said. "And I know you think nothing will change. You are wrong. Though not many know this, I will proclaim it here and now, for the world to hear."

Felix grinned when Crusch took a deeper breath.

"Are you not embarrassed?!" she shouted, her voice carried through the room. Lelouch could feel wind mana around her aid her speech, letting her question ring through the room longer than it had any right while the nobles were muffled. "Do you feel no shame?!"

Lelouch could feel the pressure in the room increase steadily.

"What is the meaning of this, Lady Karsten?" one of the nobles stepped up. She silenced him with a glare.

"The kingdom that has prospered under the Dragon has grown weak!" she said, the words she had told him a while ago coming up again. The elderly man on the left of Miklotov stood up.

"Lady Karsten, the-"

She didn't let him speak one word, instead raising her sword and slamming it down, creating a gust of wind that made him fall back into his chair. This was her show, and she wouldn't let anyone interrupt her.

"You're stagnant. Confident under the wing of the dragon. Yet in the darkness that befell our country forty years ago, in the uprising of the rebels, the Dragon did rear its head! I tell you here and now that under my rule, the covenant with the dragon will be abolished! If the serpent will not protect our country, then we must become the serpent! Dragon or not, Lugnica is the kingdom of the people!"

The last sentence was met with deafening silence. Felix's grin threatened to split his face. Even Marcos looked impressed by the display, though uncowed. The nobles, however, were shaking.

"Do you wish to add anything to that, Felix?" Marcos asked. Felix nodded.

"Please, call me Ferris," he said to the assembled people. Marcos just shook his head. "There is certainly a place for people like my lady, and that is a place to rule over others. Someone like her brings out the strength of people. There is nobody that would lead this kingdom into a more prosperous golden age than her - not even the Dragon."

"Very well," Marcos said. "Thank you, Lady Karsten."

She stepped off the platform, and Priscilla stepped forward, not giving anyone else the chance to make the first step. Aldebaran followed after her and took his place a step behind her to her right.

"Priscilla Barielle and her… servant, Aldebaran," Marcos said, unsure about what title he should give the man. "Could you take off your helmet?"

"No," Aldebaran said. "It's not a pretty sight."

He lifted the helmet slightly, showing off an impressive collection of scars on his chin before putting it down again. Some people shuddered at the sight. Marcos simply nodded, and left him be. Priscilla took a step forward towards the edge of the platform.

"This," she said, spreading her arms. "Is my show. The world revolves around me, and everything that happens will always happen in my favor. There is no doubt that I will become the queen of this country!"

She was certainly confident. Prideful. The fact that she wasn't even paying attention to the reactions of the people made it clear that there was not a bit of worry or doubt in her words. She honestly believed what she was saying.

"There are no ifs in my vocabulary," Priscilla announced. "There is no hesitation. If I see something and I want it, it will be mine. Therefore, the heavens have already declared me the ruler! Therefore, there is nobody as qualified as me to become queen! All you need to do is be obedient!"

The speech ended abruptly. And Aldebaran took the stand in her place, not waiting for Marcos to ask if he had anything to say.

"She's strong," Aldebaran said. "Impressively so, and whenever she makes a guess, it will come true. Though her words might sound arrogant and prideful, I have no doubt that they are true, because I've seen it with my own eyes. When she becomes queen, there will be prosperity."

Not if. When.

There are no ifs in her vocabulary after all.

"Bloodstained Bride!" one man shouted. "There's nothing that the heavens bring when it is hell that follows after you! Every husband you married died!"

Priscilla ignored the man. Aldebaran, however, did not.

"Under her care, the land of her late husband has grown to prosperity," he said. "If it is not heaven that follows her every step, then heaven must be jealous of whatever granted her this gift."

They stepped off, and the third one was Anastasia Hoshin. The girl gave the crowd the most innocent smile and waited for Julius to join her. The noble who shouted at Priscilla was one of those that shook the most after Crusch's speech.

"The foreigner, hm?" Miklotov said. "Marcos?"

"Anastasia Hoshin and her knight Julius Juukulius," Marcos announced.

"Yo!" Anastasia greeted them all with a wave. Her appearance was the same as yesterday when they had dinner, the overdressed presentation of her expensive bright clothes were in stark contrast to the darker colors of the throne room. "I don't think we need to introduce us, because that's not what this is about. My ideology is simple."

She clapped her hands together.

"I want an empire, I want this kingdom" she said. "When I took over the Hoshin trading company, I realized that I wanted more. And more and more and more. I took more and more until there was nothing left to take. If you want me to put it into words, I'm a pretty greedy gal. When I got really rich, I felt even poorer than before."

She pointed at her cheeks with a bright smile that was only betrayed by the impressive glint in her eyes.

"Because the more I have, the more I want to own. I want to take care of all of you, and make the world mine," she proclaimed. "So you don't need to worry about anything. Everyone will benefit from me! So just smile like I do, and become _mine_."

The impression he got from her wasn't wrong.

She wasn't just 'greedy'. She was beyond avaricious. Lelouch felt himself shiver when she glanced at him as she stressed the last word.

"I don't care about your Dragons. I don't care about your past," she continued. "So don't worry about anything! Just hand me the crown."

Julius stepped forward when she finished and bowed to the assembled people. "Though she called it greed, I disagree." He righted himself up from the bow. "Perhaps it would be better to call it ambition and passion. The one most worthy to become the ruler of this country should be the one who doesn't aim for the stars, but for the sun itself to become their possession."

Three candidates of five. Lelouch felt confused. The proclamation of ideologies they called it. "It feels strange."

"What does?" Felix asked.

"In how simple it seems, but yet how their words shake the bodies and hearts of the assempled nobles," Lelouch said. "Even some knights seem…"

"Yeah," Aldebaran said. "The Dragon didn't choose them for no reason. They have a certain presence. You give off the same feeling."

Lelouch glanced at the man. The presence of a king? Even Priscilla's rather weak and short speech had a certain force behind it. Someone who didn't have to choose her words carefully to achieve the desired effect.

Reinhard stepped forward next, taking the lead when it became obvious that Emilia wanted to go last. Helping Felt onto the platform, he stood to her left, bowing to the assembled people.

"Ideology, huh?" Felt asked. The people grimaced at her appearance, and Felt just grinned at the nobles. "Alright, then let me talk. It'll be really simple. My name is Felt. By the looks of it, I'm a bastard from when one of the royals couldn't keep it in their pants. Big surprise, isn't it?"

Lelouch couldn't say it was. His father was proof of that. When the nobles gave a cry of outrage, she just smiled wider.

"Now shut up," she said, raising her hand towards them. "Or I will order Reinhard to shut you up. I'll make it quick. I hate you. Knights?"

She lifted her other hand, waving it towards them.

"You disgust me. Nobles?"

She opened her left hand like the right and made the pointing into another wave.

"The gallows would be too good for you."

Reinhard didn't look too happy with her words, but it was less about her ideology, and more about the fact that she was making everyone in the room her enemy.

"I grew up among mud and feces, even the scraps of you nobles were too good to ever reach us," she said. "I hate you! All of you! Because you don't care about the people, you only care about yourselves! Dragons? Who cares?! Land disputes? Go fuck yourself! If I become queen, I'll crush you! Your illusions of grandeur and superiority will be shattered like glass under my feet! And I'll use my blood to write the messages on the tombs where you will bury your titles! Your gold will be given to the poor, and you'll be given rags, until you realize just how well you have it being born with a silver spoon in your mouths!"

Reinhard stepped up when she was done, and gave a soft smile to everyone. They were shaking like with Crusch, only this time in anger rather than in fear.

"Though her words might be crude, heed them," Reinhard said. "As the last living member of the Royal family, her claim is the strongest, and her actions will speak for themselves. With a conviction like that, I have no doubt that Lady Felt would make a splendid queen."

"I'll even allow guys to marry," Felt decided. Aldebaran laughed. Reinhard and Lelouch just nodded, expecting something like that.

* * *

It took a while for the assembly to go quiet again. The moment that Emilia stepped forward, they exploded again, and one stare towards them silenced them immediately. The frigid cold that seemed to follow after her was creating crystals in the air.

Lelouch resisted the smile that was about to creep up on his face. He gave her the idea that the presentation and first impression was important, and she seemed to have taken it to heart. While she lacked the presence the other four had, she had an entirely different one. When Mathers stepped forward with her, the people paid attention.

"I will not stand for this," the bald Sage said. "Roswaal! How dare you bring her here?"

The people turned to him, and Miklotov frowned at his fellow Sage. "Sir Bordeaux, you have no right to disagree."

"Are you kidding me?" the now named Bordeaux said. "The devil's appearance mirrors that of the Witch that brought ruin on this world! There is no way-"

Despite the ill will that was aimed at her, Emilia didn't flinch. It was like her heart had turned to ice. Lelouch could barely recognize the girl that had stuttered her way through a conversation the first time he met her at Roswaal's mansion.

"I am sure you understand," Roswaal said. "It'd be inappropriate to call her a scapegoat, but would you rather think of her like that?"

Bordeaux looked confused for a moment. "Surely you don't mean…"

"Roswaal," Emilia said, her voice sending shivers down everyone's spine. "Please, take your place next to the nobles."

Roswaal obviously didn't expect that reaction, something on his face just shouted 'this went wrong'. When the air around Emilia froze, Puck appeared, his form turning into that of a predator. He took the size of half the platform. That was him. Emilia's knight.

"The… the beast?!" Bordeaux asked.

"The beast at the end of the eternally frozen lands," Miklotov muttered. "It is you who has contracted him?"

"Evil seeks evil!" Boredaux said. "Of course the beast would accompany someone who had the image of the Witch."

"You have a big mouth for a powerless man," Puck said, his voice sounding menacing. Lelouch blinked. He made a mistake. A huge one at that.

While he wasn't wrong in underestimating Emilia to a certain point, he made a mistake in what kind of person she was. In what kind of character. Emilia wasn't the side-character in a Britannian play. Far from it.

She was the antagonist.

Flügel's voice echoed through his mind. _'Puck is coating her. She's using him as a medium to present herself differently. It's incredibly hard to do while also keeping your own body.'_

Lelouch nodded. Of course she couldn't simply change like that within a few hours. Instead, the push that Lelouch gave her made her go for a measure that he couldn't have predicted. It was fascinating. The other four candidates, even Priscilla, paid attention to her.

"My name is Emilia," she said, the cold melting slightly as she bowed to the assembly. "Though I have no family, and bear no other names, I've come to stand here because I've been chosen, and I have my goals. The reason I want this kingdom is simple."

She spread her arms not unlike Anastasia before her. "I want equality. Demi-humans and humans, the commoners and the nobles. I want a kingdom in which everyone is given the same rights. Though you'd claim it is so, I have seen for a fact that it is not. I do not care if you call me devil or monster. I do not care if the people tremble due to my appearance. What I care about is the change I will bring to this place, and whether you like it or not, you will call me queen. If it is the Dragon who has chosen me as candidate, one of the three that have sealed the Witch of Envy, then who are you to decline me? Who are you to question my presence here?"

The magical effect around her shattered as Puck vanished and she stepped off, taking her place next to the other candidates. Crusch looked at Emilia more seriously now, recognizing the threat the young woman presented now. Emilia turned slightly red as her normal personality bled through the spirit posession.

"Okay," Felix said. "I didn't expect that."

Julius nodded, wide-eyed. "I've never seen a spirit and their contractor to be so in sync."

Of course Julius would notice it. Felix, however, nodded as well.

"Very well, we have heard all five of them," Miklotov said, nodding. He was the only one obviously not shaken by the display before him. Even Roswaal looked like he had swallowed something sour. "We will continue discussions in private, and reveal the ideologies to the public tomorrow morning. Thank you for coming today."

The people walked out, while Emilia approached Lelouch quickly, looking slightly flushed and out of breath, obviously from the display she had put on. When they were in relative privacy, she bowed to him deeply.

"Thank you for your advice," she said. Lelouch waved her off.

"It's nothing," Lelouch said. "I didn't expect you do something that impressive, I admit. It was a rather stunning display of your magic."

"Thank you," Emilia said. "Puck will need to sleep for a while now, but he was really happy I decided to do something like this."

"I can imagine," Lelouch said. "It's like a friend of mine once said. All you need to have is guts…"

Lelouch trailed off. Something felt wrong. Giving her his best smile, Lelouch bowed slightly.

"You have others matters to attend, and I have to go as well, good luck, Lady Emilia," Lelouch said. Emilia smiled at him and turned to follow the candidates towards a more private room.

* * *

When Lelouch was out of the castle, he immediately summoned Flügel. The cold headache from before returned.

"Something is wrong," Lelouch said. Flügel was already huge enough to carry him and did so without much trouble. Their destination was his home.

"What is?" Flügel asked. "I can't feel anything weird going on."

"It's not that there is something," Lelouch muttered. "It's like there's something missing."

The expenditure of mana and quick movement to his home left Lelouch stumbling through the door after unlocking it. He hit the side of his head with his middle finger. There was something. Grabbing a book where he kept his notes inside from the shelf, Lelouch opened it and grabbed a pen.

"Names," Lelouch said. Flügel closed the door behind them and turned into a human form, standing behind Lelouch as the man began to scribble them down. He knew them all. His friends back in the school. Back before everything. The council members.

Nunnally. Suzaku. Kallen. Rivalz. Shirley. Nina. /

A line. Lelouch stared at it as if it were an eternity. The pen dug a hole into the paper. What letter did this line become? A P? An N? He couldn't tell, the cold headache growing worse by the minute. He did it again.

Nunnally. Suzaku. Kallen. Rivalz. Shirley. Nina. The pen shattered in his hands, the ink staining the pages of the empty book. Standing up, his hands shaking, Lelouch turned around and grabbed Flügel by the collar.

"FLÜGEL!" he shouted. "Why can't I remember their name?"

Their. Him? Her?

The cold headache became like a tight embrace, making him breathless. Satella giggled.


	19. Karsten and Barielle

When one shaves off the pretenses of a cold exterior, all that remains is a beating heart. It is perhaps the biggest weakness in any human, no matter how immune one claims to be to its yearnings and how far detached one claims to be from their emotions. Though Lelouch would consider himself someone who was capable of setting his emotions aside to work towards a greater goal, he knew that he wasn't infallible.

Sometimes, the exterior cracks. The emotion that came up more often than others was anger. It seeped through the cracks like an oozing red slime, twisting his thoughts into a destructive pattern. The one emotion that rarely cracked the exterior was fear.

Lelouch was not someone who had many things to fear. Even when Pandora had threatened his sister, anger was the emotion he defaulted to. Fury paved the way for spite, and even now he was running on the high that the Witch Cult had to be destroyed for his sister to live a peaceful life.

So when his heart dropped into his stomach and a slight sickness spread through his body, Lelouch could tell that the uncertainty of what the future might hold was taking a toll on him.

His fingers were holding the book's spine tight, the book was pressed to hard into his chest as he took the step forward. Into the Sword Saint's mansion. The servant, an elderly gentleman in a butler's suit, closed the door behind him.

"Sir Reinhard has been notified, please take a seat in the study," he said. Lelouch nodded at the man.

"Thank you," Lelouch said. The servant didn't lead him there, he still knew where the rooms were. As he stepped through the hallway on the right, the gazes of the former heads of the family following him from the portraits, Lelouch grit his teeth.

Flügel was quiet. The hairpin which held his form while he wasn't outside had no answers for him. Opening the door to the study, Lelouch stepped in, his grip on the book loosening slightly. Shaking his head, Lelouch leaned against a wall in the study.

It took barely a minute for Reinhard to walk in, and though Lelouch had requested to meet him alone, the former emperor still cast a gaze through the door to check that the knight hadn't brought his mistress with him. Satisfied, Lelouch returned Reinhard's perpetual smile as the red-haired young man stepped in.

"Good morning, Lelouch," Reinhard said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Two days. Lelouch's arm was still stiff, his hand cramped slightly. Whenever a call through the spell came, Lelouch destroyed the window before he could see who it was.

"Yes, I apologize," Lelouch said, the grip on his book tightened again. "I've… something important to speak with you about."

When the facade cracks, sometimes the best decision is to trust. Reinhard's smile didn't leave his face, though Lelouch could see that his words were portraying the seriousness well enough. The Sword Saint's posture straightened slightly, and he stepped forward as Lelouch moved from the wall.

"I need a favor," Lelouch said. Reinhard nodded.

"Whatever you need-"

"A big one," Lelouch interrupted him quickly. "Something I believe I can't trust anyone else with."

Not even Flügel, considering the contract might eventually take it toll on him too.

"Are you alright, Lelouch?" Reinhard asked, sounding every bit as concerned as he looked. "If you need my help with something, I'd be glad that you came to me with it, but…"

"It's personal," Lelouch admitted. "And you have to promise me, because I know you're a man of your word, that nothing I tell you will ever leave this room unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I promise," Reinhard said without missing a beat. "I swear it on my honor as a knight and the oath I have given this country. If it is not necessary, my lips shall be sealed."

Lelouch had chosen that wording for a reason. Should he ever become a threat to this country, Reinhard would have the information to work against him. It was a necessity that Lelouch had to concede on, because Reinhard was a knight of Lugnica first and foremost.

Lelouch sighed, both in relief and worry.

"I'm afraid there's something wrong," Lelouch admitted. Reinhard nodded, the smile slipping off his face. "I'm losing memories, details of my past."

Reinhard blinked, then shook his head slightly. "I have the feeling you're not speaking about simple forgetfulness."

"No," Lelouch confirmed. "I don't. I noticed it two days ago, and I've prepared something since then. But I can't keep it with me, not if I could forget about it. This is important to me."

Lelouch couldn't allow himself that moment of vulnerability, yet he can't recall the last time he sounded that desperate. His grip on the book slackened, the cover slightly dented in from the force his fingers put on it over the last hour. Raising the book towards Reinhard, Lelouch grimaced.

"I wrote it down," Lelouch said. "Everything I remember, everything that happened up to the point where I arrived in Lugnica, in a language only I can read."

Though if given enough time, Lelouch was sure someone could decode it. That wasn't the point of writing it like that, though. If anything, someone being capable of eventually decoding it would help him.

"If I forget it, everything in this book should help me remember," Lelouch said. Reinhard took the book. There was no lock on it, no spell that Lelouch knew could seal it. Flügel was yet again unhelpful, as was his diary. "I need you to keep this for me."

"Of course," Reinhard said. "Though wouldn't it be better if you looked for an expert on curses or a healer? Someone who can check what is wrong with you?"

"No."

Lelouch knew well what was wrong with him, he was the fool in a greater work, whose misery served the amusement of the spectators.

It could be any of multiple reasons. It could be the contract with Flügel, it could be simply the fact that he was here in this world, it could be Pandora's doing or Satella's. Whichever it was, nobody could help him, not right now.

"There's something else," Lelouch spoke up again quickly. "Besides you hiding this book for me. You need to remind me."

"Remind you of what? The book?" Reinhard asked. Lelouch shook his head.

"My sister's name," Lelouch said. "If I ever forget it, bring me the book, if I don't remember giving it to you. If I ever notice something else missing, I'll call for you and you have to tell me: 'remember Nunnally'."

Lelouch wasn't nervous about Reinhard. Not about how much he could trust the young man who sat on the desk. What made Lelouch's knees weak was the uncertainty. That moment of vulnerability that he hated to show.

And it had convinced him to believe in someone. Though Lelouch knew that trusting someone like Reinhard was the most logical decision he could make, the fact that he came to trust someone so much made him wonder.

How much of it was Reinhard's simple and easy going attitude that made him so popular with everyone, and how much was it the desperation to fill the hole in his memories of someone he could trust with something like this? It didn't matter. Right now, it didn't matter, because if he couldn't trust one person, Lelouch could never make himself trust anyone else. It was a step into a direction that had more to do with faith than logic. If anything, it was logic in having faith.

When one shaves off the pretenses of a cold exterior, all that remains is a beating heart.

Putting his feet on the ground again, Reinhard took Lelouch's hand when the former emperor offered it. "No one," Lelouch said again. "Not even Felt."

"Thank you," Reinhard said. Lelouch looked at the man.

"I beg your pardon, but what are you thanking me for?"

"I can feel you shaking," Reinhard said. Lelouch simply nodded, hiding his hands behind his back when he let go. "Since I've met you, I had the feeling you're someone who's very cautious and distrustful of people. You're keeping your distance, and only step forward if you have something to gain from it. I don't mean that as an insult, but…"

"I understand," Lelouch said. Of course he'd be perceptive enough for that. So was Crusch Karsten. So was Anastasia Hoshin. Even Felt, as someone who was not too different from the princess from Kararagi.

"I don't think you feel quite at home yet in Lugnica," Reinhard said, smiling. "So trusting me with something like this, it's an honor, it makes me feel all jolly."

Lelouch snorted. What made it funnier was that Reinhard wasn't joking. The young Sword Saint in front of him was being honest. Honest to a fault, yet Lelouch couldn't begrudge that.

"I feel relieved," Lelouch admitted. "If it came to it, I have written some parts uncoded, so if you ever feel the need to read it if you need to remind me, don't hesitate."

Nothing in that book could be of relevance for Reinhard. Pandora knew everything already, there was no problem about that. If anything, if she thought that information was something useful in the hands of others, she'd have given it to the public in one way or another to single him out, though it seems fantastical - someone with her power would make it work.

Instead, Lelouch grew more and more certain that Pandora was worried. She showed pettiness when he called her by her name, anger when he destroyed the diary.

She was just like him. Fear was an emotion both of them locked away into the deepest parts of their psyche, and if there was something that could shake her up, it would be someone who could make her almost infallible power waver.

Another possibility was that she was biding her time, waiting for him to display the magic she wanted to have, a part of the diary he hadn't translated yet. She obviously lacked an understanding on how it worked.

So did Flügel, but the spirit has been more of a bother than any help. He was reduced to a mime, incapable of proper speech as he pondered Lelouch's question. The demand to know what was wrong. And when Flügel couldn't give him an answer, Lelouch felt furious enough that the spirit left into the hairpin, moving out of the way of the incarnation of wrath. Taking a deep breath, Lelouch stilled his shaking hands.

Relief flooded through his system. "Thank you," Lelouch said. For what? Being a friend? Letting him trust him? Doing him this favor that made him write a book about his life in two days? Lelouch opened his mouth and closed it again. Pondering for a bit, Lelouch just cast his gaze down. "Thank you."

Reinhard took the time Lelouch tried to find the right words to lock the book up in a rather impressive looking safe that gave off a slight pulse of magic. When that was done, he turned around, smiling at Lelouch.

"I'd give you a hug but I'm sure Felt would walk in right after that," Reinhard said, Lelouch snorted again. Though he knew it was a joke, his gaze still went towards the door to the study. "Will you join us for lunch?"

"Ah, perhaps, did Felt try to reach me during those two days?" Lelouch asked. Reinhard nodded. Grinning slightly, Lelouch shook his head. "I'm not sure if I should then, sometimes I don't know how to handle her."

"She's like a little sister, I suppose," Reinhard said. "It's hard treating her like a princess, to be honest."

"Why not treat her as both?" Lelouch smiled at the Sword Saint, walking out of the room with him. "A princess can be a sister too, after all."

"A princess would use her own pockets full of coins," Reinhard muttered. "Not that I mind, but I think at this point she carries more cash with her than I do most of the time."

"It's… yes, I think it's alright until you find her sleeping on the coins," Lelouch decided. "Have faith, eventually she can tyrannically take the coins from the other nobles as soon as she's elected queen."

"You make it sound like she's some villain," Reinhard said. Lelouch said nothing.

* * *

Lunch was mostly uneventful, at least until Felt tried to kick him in the face. Luckily, Reinhard stopped her and Lelouch was able to leave the mansion with his teeth intact. The low heels she was apparently getting used to might have hurt a bit more than just getting her leg forcefully shoved into his chest.

On his way home, the window opened in front of him, and for the first time in two days he let it.

When it opened up, it was a face he hadn't expected to see. Crusch Karsten stared at him with an expression that could only be described as annoyance. Though she had clothes on that wouldn't look wrong on a man, she wore them with style, her long hair done up in a ponytail.

"It seems I finally reached you, Lelouch Lamperouge," Crusch said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "I admit, if I wasn't informed about the specifics of this magic, I'd almost think you were ignoring me in particular, but I've heard that no one was able to reach you."

"I apologize, Lady Karsten," Lelouch said , raising his gaze slightly as he moved through the streets, looking for a more private place to hold the conversation. "There was something important coming up, and I feel-"

"I don't want excuses, you owe me nothing," she interrupted rather forcefully. "If it is your wish, I shall not contact you again."

"Believe me when I say that I have no quarrel with you and yours," Lelouch said, smiling slightly. The usually disarming smile was brushed off with a movement of Crusch's eyes. Lelouch had the feeling anyone else would have just outright scoffed at him. Yet, Crusch didn't strike him as the kind of person who would hold grudges over something this simple. Instead, it was more likely that she was growing irritated with his unending presence when the Royal Selection was involved.

"If that's so, then let me invite you," Crusch said. Flügel stirred. "I've made my intentions clear to you the last time, and I'll confirm again that I shall not be the person who drags you out to the border and leaves you with the mabeasts. Sir Marcos had not one bad word to say about you, and your presence at court is not going to vanish."

"Invite me?" Lelouch asked. "Where to?"

"To my mansion. Now." She nodded at him, the image in the window bobbing slightly. "There's something I wish to discuss with you. If you wish to warn someone-"

"I don't believe you wish me any harm," he said, looking around. He had ducked into an alley, and no one was around. "While I understand why you see me as a threat to your power should you become queen, I don't think you consider us enemies."

Even if she did, attacking him would simply mean he returns. Putting him into shackles and hiding him away doesn't work anymore now that the spell is in the hands of the knights and other candidates. Lelouch had nothing to fear, because he had nothing to lose.

Or did he? The cold fingers that dug deep into his brain and moved down until they touched his spine were a worry he couldn't put aside. One possibility, after all, was that in his attempts to gather as much information as possible before moving on to the next 'return spot' that the Witch decided, he was losing memories.

A thousand reasons, and it wasn't something he wanted to test out. It wasn't something he could test out.

"I'll be expecting you then," Crusch said. The hand swiped through the window, and Lelouch was left alone in the alley.

"There was something else on her mind," Lelouch heard Flügel say. Thrown out of his thoughts, the young man stared up at the bird that was floating in front of him now. "She seemed less irritated at you and more at herself."

"Perhaps, it's hard to tell with someone like that," Lelouch said. "Her blessing doesn't work over the spell, I believe, so it lets people lie to her."

"Hmph," Flügel said, sitting down on Lelouch's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lelouch asked.

"I've been remembering things, bits and pieces," Flügel said. "Trying to remember details, but I can't say for sure. As far as I know, there is no correlation to dropping into this world and to losing memories of the old one. There are no signs of Satella actively messing with your mind, or I'd have noticed by now. There's no curse in your body, and Pandora using magic like that in the capital would drag the dragon here faster than you can say your full name thrice in quick succession."

Lelouch blinked, the corners of his lips moving down. "It seems you've been busy and actually trying to help rather than rushing off to hide from me. I apologize."

"It's not your fault, I'd be angry too," Flügel admitted. "Though you're scary when you get angry, please don't use me to relieve that anger."

"I won't," Lelouch said, stepping out of the alley again. The Crusch mansion wasn't too far from Reinhard's. "I've… come to peace with it, so to speak. Reinhard will help me. Could you fly me to the mansion?"

Flügel nodded. Lelouch's form left the alley on a huge bird.

* * *

Of all the candidates, Lelouch knew that Crusch was the favorite. She used to be, at least, until the denouncement of the covenant. Though considering her rivals in the royal selection, that was likely the least outrageous presentation.

All of them were terrifying in one way or another. Emilia was the magical sakuradite bomb, someone with a being that was capable of freezing landscapes with its mere presence, if Flügel's summary wasn't exaggerated. Felt, as the last child of the royal family, had every cause to destroy the nobility of the country, even if it would lead to a civil war. It wouldn't be a very smart choice, but the only thing that could stop her would be Reinhard's firm hand.

Both of them were unpopular with the nobles. Emilia was unpopular with the commoners as well.

With Reinhard by Felt's side, it's unlikely that she'd lose if a war broke out, and Lelouch did not doubt that Reinhard would fight even his comrades and fellow nobles if it is his lady's wish. Flügel described the red-haired young man as even more dangerous than him during his prime.

Lelouch wasn't sure just how the loyalties of the knights will move when a ruler is finally on the throne, but he doubted that the royal guardsmen would put the queen above their chosen mistress if it came down to it.

Hoshin, as the foreigner, was even less liked than the 'bloodstained bride' Priscilla. Both of them ruffled feathers, both of them have their competence in leading, if the claim about her late husband's land was true. Yet, for any noble native to Lugnica, Crusch would be the most obvious choice.

And she knew that. It made her dangerous in a different way than the other candidates.

The servant who was sent to the gates to lead him towards the mansion was Wilhelm. The elderly man looked stoic as always, and did not give Lelouch a second glance as they moved towards the mansion.

"It has been long, Sir Lelouch," Wilhelm said. Lelouch nodded, though Reinhard's grandfather couldn't see him.

"Indeed, the past few weeks have been rather hectic."

"I understand," Wilhelm said. "You look like you're at peace. It's refreshing."

Lelouch didn't know why the old man was talkative, but saw no fault in holding a conversation. "I don't know if I'd call it peace, but I think I'm getting used to things being as they are."

Wilhelm opened the door to the mansion, letting Lelouch step into a simple hall with the typical stairs that lead to an upper floor. On the top of the stairs, a portrait hung. It was large, an image of a man and a woman with a child that looked like a younger Crusch Karsten. Her stare was intense even back then.

"Please, follow me," Wilhelm said. Lelouch did. The stairs up and then towards the right towards what looked a balcony.

"I have a question," Lelouch said.

"If I can answer it, then please go ahead and ask," Wilhelm said, turning his head towards Lelouch.

"Lady Felt has been curious about Rom," Lelouch said. "He's been spending a lot of time with you, she said. He's her only family, and it seems she's rather distressed about it."

"Ah, I apologize, we've been catching up on old times," Wilhelm said. The way his arm tensed, Lelouch assumed that there was a bit of a workout involved. "Cromwell worries, but he knows that Reinhard is good for her, and if he spent too much time in her presence, it would ruin her chances for the future."

Lelouch hummed, agreeing. Wilhelm opened the door to the balcony he was leading Lelouch towards and Lelouch stepped through. Crusch was sitting there in a chair, dressed in her usual uniform, her sword leaning against the chair.

"Welcome," she greeted him. "Please, take a seat."

Lelouch nodded, sitting down across her. Wilhelm stepped up and took the teapot off the table, pouring a golden glistening liquid into the cups.

"Thank you for your invitation, Lady Karsten," Lelouch said, trying his best to sound happy. "Though I admit it was rather sudden."

"It wouldn't have been if you hadn't ignored me," Crusch said, shrugging. "But that's besides the point. I don't hold grudges for very long."

"I don't think that two days of privacy would be something to begrudge," Lelouch said. "If anything, I believe that you take offense to something else entirely, though I can't exactly tell what to yet."

"No," Crusch said, obviously lying without any attempt to mask it. "It is definitely the fact that you ignored me for two days after spending so much time with three other candidates. I believe we had this conversation once."

"If you've invited me to tell me off," Lelouch said, a frown on his face. "Then please, go ahead and let it all out. I don't mind it, and if it helps you relieve some frustration, I don't think you'd be so insecure in your position that you'd be this frustrated."

She twitched. There was something. A glimmer in her eyes. She looked like she had so much on her mind, as if the entire world was on her shoulders. She looked like Lelouch had felt until this morning. Rather than push the point, especially with the way Wilhelm was staring at him, Lelouch sighed.

"I apologize for my outburst, it's unbecoming to be so rude to my host," Lelouch said. Crusch muttered something under her breath and shook her head.

"No, I've been suffering some setbacks lately - I shouldn't let my frustration out on my guest. Please, let us start again."

"Of course, Lady Karsten," Lelouch said, nodding his head. "Is there anything you wish to discuss?"

"Some," she said. "Though I'm curious about many things. I suppose it feels like an eternity since that meeting as Sir Reinhard's table. Perhaps you recall the topic of conversation."

"The fourth pillar, my presence disrupting your plans to create a stronger kingdom," Lelouch said. She nodded. "And then I bring the communication spell to Lugnica."

She nodded, her lips drawn in a thin line as she raised her cup of tea to it. Not taking a sip yet, she stared at him, the steam rising up, creating a soft sheet of it in front of her eyes. "People look up to you now. The Archbishop, the spell, everything. You've become everything I feared you'd become, and I'm not happy."

She had no reason to hide that fact, nor a reason to lie. Her dislike of the Dragon was already the most controversial topic of her ideology.

"You can't please everyone." Lelouch shrugged. "I don't want to antagonize you, and I understand why my presence causes you distress, but Lugnica is the only place I can call home."

"I wish you were dishonest with that statement," she admitted. "But you're not. And I understand it. When I become queen, I won't chase you out of the country."

"Not just because it'd be bad publicity for you?" Lelouch asked. She chuckled.

"No, because you're good for the country, as much as I loathe to admit it," she said. Wilhelm had taken his place behind the duchess, his expression unreadable. "You helped us, and for that, Lugnica is in your debt. Say, what do you think about settling down?"

Lelouch's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline. "If that was a proposition, I have to admit that I've heard better."

She waved him off, unconcerned. "I've many cousins who'd like to meet you, members of my house and other houses. No matter which, if you were to marry any of them, you'd put your loyalty into their family and by proxy into the country. It would be an assurance."

"I'm afraid that I'm not a person to settle down," Lelouch said. Relationships and marriage was as far away from his thoughts as possible. Considering what happened to the people he felt something towards, Lelouch couldn't see himself be happy like that. Furthermore, political marriages were a headache.

"We're not too different in that regard," Crusch admitted. "The reason I invited you today was to see what kind of person you've become since our last real meeting. You're the only thing that changed in this country, you stir trouble up wherever you go."

"And what kind of person am I?"

"You've changed," she decided. "Your hard gaze softened slightly, your smile looks less forced. Sir Marcos seems to have an idea, but he wouldn't share. You keep changing to fit. That's the kind of person you are."

The lights on the balcony flickered on and off again. A strong wind blew over the balcony.

Crusch immediately grabbed her sword, turning around as Wilhelm jumped to the side. Lelouch jumped out of the chair, gathering mana. Flügel appeared in front of him, his wings spread as if shielding him.

Lelouch blinked at the hand that was in front of his face, the blade that could have stabbed through his eye attached to it was instead pointing up as the person tried to grab him, rather than kill. The hand was cut deeply, one of Wilhelm's swords stuck in it, stopping only at the bone that made a noise not unlike a piece of metal.

Crusch's blade licked air when the assassin jumped back, becoming a blur. When he came back again, this time aiming for Crusch, a clash happened and Lelouch could smell the Witch.

It was an intense, putrid smell. Ten times the intensity of Betelgeuse's. The smell was like a scream, like a song, that vibrated through his skull. It made him nauseous, blurry eyed. Flügel's form turned huge.

Gathering mana in his eyes, one of the first spells he learned announced itself through a strong glow and let him see it in detail. A muscular man with long, unkempt hair that hung down over a stern face wearing nothing but rags. The blades over his hands didn't look half as menacing as the huge hands themselves, stained in dirt and dried blood, the fingernails broken and dirty.

Crusch looked hard pressed to hold him back even as she used all her strength against just one arm of his. When the second one swung down, Wilhelm was there again, ready to intercept it. One of the blades cracked and then broke as it cut to the bone of the man again. When the man jumped backwards, making Crusch stumble forward slightly, Lelouch could took his chance and gathered as much mana as he could.

Sabal. Repeatedly. The blades appeared, and Flügel aided him, raising his wing and creating twice the amount of blades. All of them shot forward, and the man's arms turned into a blur as he cut them all down, the cut blades flaking away after hitting the wooden floor of the balcony.

Some of them were caught in his mouth, and Lelouch heard but a disgusting crunch as the man swallowed the blades bite after bite.

The mana seeped into his body.

"Gluttony," Flügel confirmed. "One of the stronger ones."

Wilhelm took the initiative as Lelouch raised his hand, a circle on his arm twisting and turning. "Zimerian."

"We're not happy," the Archbishop said, strangely soft-spoken despite his appearance. "That you'd get in between us and our prey. I don't like eating with you. You're rude."

"Speak to the judge in hell, Archbishop," Crusch exclaimed. Her sword exploded in wind, and a wave of it cut through the distance between her and the Archbishop. He swatted it out of the air.

"Lelouch vi Britannia," he said. "Come with us."

He clicked his tongue as he heard the man speak his name. Though it didn't mean anything to anyone but Pandora and her Archbishops, it added the implication that he had given people a fake name. Even Betelgeuse had called him Lamperouge.

"I'm afraid I have to decline that invitation," Lelouch said. The spell continued. The Archbishop didn't slow down. Instead, when Wilhelm and he clashed, and bits and pieces of metal splintered off the Astraea's sword, the man used his unreal speed to flank Lelouch.

Flügel created a shield. The man clashed against it, and the bird was skidding over the floor, scratching the wood with his claws. Crusch's wind blade ripped through the rags that he wore, and left gashes on his back. The man was unrelenting, like a moving fortress - someone without the concept of pain.

Lelouch's spell wasn't working right. The man's power was wavering, but it was as if the Witch's scent was fed to him from the distance. The man jumped around over the balcony, keeping out of reach and closing the gap immediately, either clashing against them or being blocked by Flügel. While they were on the defensive, no one besides the Archbishop had actually taken any wounds.

Lelouch raised his arm. "Sabal," he said, and the Yang mana gathered, turning into a dagger. Raising it to his neck, Lelouch called out. "Archbishop, if you want to take me alive, now is not a good time."

The dagger on his throat was pressed into his skin to the point where a single shaky movement of his hands would draw blood. It made all the participants of the fight hesitate.

Though Betelgeuse hadn't hesitated to kill him when he wanted to, Lelouch could chalk that up to the madman being just that, mad. It was a strange concept considering his earlier observations of the Witch Cult, but not all Archbishops were like Betelgeuse. If Pandora ordered this one to take him alive as well, then the only mistake he made was attacking him here and not in his home, or even on the open street away from the expert swordsmen.

"Lelouch-" Crusch began, but he didn't waver. "You don't have to do that."

There was uncertainty in her voice. Fear for his life? She could feel it. The lack of dishonesty in his words. Though Lelouch doesn't want to test out how his bond changed the curse, or if he would lose more memories with another death, he wouldn't hesitate.

Lelouch wasn't a hesitant person.

The assassin vanished again, and appeared behind Lelouch. The dagger pressed forward, drawing blood and making his hand once again stop next to him, stretched out. When Wilhelm came from above, cutting through the hesitating Archbishop's arm cleanly, Lelouch's bright clothes were stained red.

The left arm of the man fell to the ground, and Lelouch could see the man think for just the fraction of a second before grabbing it and running off.

Lelouch let the dagger vanish when he was sure the man wasn't coming back, rubbing his throat and holding the shallow cut to prevent it from bleeding too much. "Revenge for Betelgeuse, hmph."

Ferris rushed onto the balcony. The effeminate young man was a healer, not a fighter, so when he heard the clashes he must've observed the fight, ready to jump in the moment someone needed his help. Rather than approach Lelouch with worry, the former emperor found himself staring at an expression he hadn't seen in a while. Not with such intensity.

Contempt. Utter contempt and disgust. If the setting was more casual, the twitch in the knight's arm made Lelouch wonder if he'd have hit him.

"What a shameful display," Crusch said. "That'd you go so far for the sake of protecting us."

"I was protecting myself just as much," Lelouch said, the half-truth seeping through his lips. Though Felix's expression softened, and a soft blue glow soon filled the air, healing his throat quickly, Lelouch could still feel the irritation.

"Running away from living isn't a solution, Lelouch," Ferris said. "My lady and Wilhelm would've killed him without you driving him off."

"Perhaps," Lelouch admitted. "Though the last Archbishop was hiding some tricks up his sleeve, who knows what kind of magic this one was capable off."

The mood thoroughly soured, Lelouch thanked Ferris for the quick healing and looked towards the wall visible in the distance. "Perhaps I should head home."

"Lelouch vi Britannia," Crusch said. Lelouch turned to her, the corners of his lips twitching down. "Would you be so quick to throw your life away for the sake of others?"

"Yes," Lelouch said. Ferris didn't sound happy. Not in Lugnica, but he had given his life for the people already, and it's a lot less harder to do the second time. "Please, don't use that name."

"I'll remember it, Sir Britannia," Crusch said, unrelenting. Lelouch shook his head. It was time to go home.

* * *

Flügel carried him as far above as possible to avoid any surprise attacks. Lelouch sighed a breath of relief when he caught sight of his home from above and finally let himself relax. This Archbishop was dangerous. More than dangerous. Something made him immune to the spell to suppress Satella's magic, perhaps Pandora messed with it somehow after he killed Betelgeuse.

"It's doubtful," Flügel said. "If she could do that, she'd have to know the specifics of the spell in the diary."

"Then it might have to do with his authority?" Lelouch asked. "Gluttony is a concept that might've been what led to Satella eating the other genes."

"It might be," Flügel admitted. "Though the spell was having an effect instead of none, which means something else was keeping him powered, as if his Authority wasn't in his body, and instead somewhere else."

Lelouch nodded. It was the feeling that the smell was dragged towards him that gave such a theory credence.

Flügel lowered himself when they were above the door and Lelouch could see something wrong within a second. The door was blasted open. Flügel transformed into a smaller bird to easily fit through the door when Lelouch stepped off. Someone was sitting inside.

The ball of light gathered in his hands and Lelouch sent it forward, illuminating the interior of the bedroom slash study. Flügel created a shield that shimmered in a golden light.

And both revealed Priscilla Barielle, lying on Lelouch's bed, her hair flowing down to the ground and her legs propped up against the wall as she stared at him, her face upside down.

"Yo, bro," Lelouch heard a male voice say. Turning around, he found Aldebaran sitting in the corner of the room, his large sword leaning against the wall. "I really need to ask you for a favor."

"I don't think breaking into my home would warrant me listening to such," Lelouch said, annoyance tinging his voice. He had set up the spell that could magically seal the door to anyone but him, so someone breaking it like that wasn't going to make him any less paranoid in his own home.

"I wanted to wait outside, but she kinda kicked it in," Aldebaran admitted, pointing at Priscilla. The woman was humming, kicking her legs off the wall and onto it again and again. The red dress she usually wore did nothing to hide her ample cleavage. "That's why I need your help. She's… not herself."

"Oh?" Lelouch asked, staring at the strangely quiet head of the Barielle house. "What's wrong with her?"

"We got attacked," Aldebaran said. "And whatever that guy did, it wiped her memory. She couldn't remember anything besides her name, and her personality just got weird."

That made Lelouch stop. Memory loss as well? No, hers was far further, and the event of an attack. Once again the worry of what it could mean for him spread through his stomach with a sickening feeling - could he end up like that if he forgot everything? No, Lelouch shook his head, he had Reinhard to help him.

"I need to track down whoever did this and make them fix it," Aldebaran continued. "And I kinda need you to, you know, take care of her until that's done. She'd not like people finding out what happened to her."

"That's a big favor," Lelouch said. "Why'd I do that for you?"

"Because I know some secrets you don't want to spread," Aldebaran said, sounding jovial. "And I'd owe you a huge one when this is over?"

Lelouch frowned. "That's not asking for a favor, that's blackmail."

"You grew up on court in Britannia, you know full well there's no big difference," Aldebaran said. Lelouch couldn't exactly refute that. "It won't be for too long. I have a lead on where he could be, just a few days, a week tops. She even grabbed money so you don't need to worry about that-"

"Gah! Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Priscilla said loudly, kicking off the wall and sliding onto the ground. She turned on the floor and pushed herself up again, glaring at the two men. Flügel was above them, his shield long since dropped, and staring at the Barielle. She walked up to Lelouch, sizing him up with a glare and then grabbed him by the collar. "You look like you'd make a good pet."

Lelouch blinked. "I wouldn't know," he said dryly. Turning to Aldebaran, Lelouch sighed. "I assume that I would have to do my best to avoid her condition from becoming public knowledge?"

"That'd be nice, but I know that's hard to do considering she runs around," Aldebaran said. The woman looked even more frustrated at being left out of the conversation. Kicking Lelouch in the back of the knee like a child, she made him fall forward slightly. "Instead, just… I don't know, try to minimize the damage. Maybe help her out some, it'd not really be more than what you did for the other candidates."

"I very much doubt that," Lelouch muttered. But he had to gain things here. A favor from Aldebaran and Priscilla, if she had enough honor to repay the debt when she regains her memories. If she regains her memories. "Can you tell me anything about your attacker?"

"Young boy, long brown hair, used those two swords over his hands," Aldebaran said, making a motion with his arms. Lelouch blinked. "And he was crazy strong and fast. He licked his hand after touching her, it was pretty creepy."

"Gluttony Archbishop?" Lelouch asked. Flügel confirmed it. "There was more than one?"

"What do you mean?" the masked man asked.

"I was attacked too, at the Karsten mansion," Lelouch explained. "By a man who fits that description, not a child, though."

If there were multiple Archbishops, then the spell not working made sense in a way. It'd split up among the three, and unless it was cast on all of them, nothing could happen. Lelouch found someone who destroyed his trump card as soon as he received it.

"Very well, if you find out anything about the Archbishop, if you're capable of killing him, or even capturing him, I want to be the first one you tell. For that, I'll take care of your little problem."

"A problem, am I?" Priscilla asked, crossing her arms under her chest. "Perhaps I should actually be a problem then. I want something to eat, and I want it quick."

Her stomach rumbled slightly, though Lelouch could hear it in the quiet home. Aldebaran chuckled, apparently finding that situation too hilarious.

"And I want a bath," Priscilla demanded, raising her arms. "Undress me."

Flügel all but told him to do just that. Gritting his teeth, Lelouch turned away from the woman and opened the door to the bathroom of his home. Up until now, all the candidates were strong and independent. Proud.

Ending up with a demanding princess by his side wasn't how Lelouch had planned his next days. She stepped in, though Lelouch didn't follow. Turning to Aldebaran, he spoke up again. "Won't her family look for her? What happens if there's an event regarding the selection while she's like that?"

"Her family knows, but I couldn't trust any of those snakes," the gladiator admitted. "So you're kind of her hiding place, none of them would really call the guards to look for the lost candidate that had her memories wiped."

"A fair point," Lelouch muttered. Once again he's stuck with someone who lost their memories.

And this time they were the exact opposite.


	20. Gluttonous Princess

**Chapter 20: Gluttonous Princess**

* * *

Let it never be said that Lelouch did not have to deal with his share of spoiled princesses in his lifetime. The fact that this followed him into the next didn't come to a surprise to him. The problem with Priscilla Barielle was that he was directly responsible for someone who was capable of using a high class of Yang magic and without any reservations to do so to get her way.

The only thing that was left to do was tricking her, which was hard enough. Aldebaran's assessment that she was quite fortunate in her guesses proved itself to be true when she was able to call out most of his lies to make her stay while he bought her the promised meal.

"Hmph," Priscilla snorted, trailing behind him as she took in the sight of the city. The people that knew her well enough cast away their gaze, the air of arrogance that gathered around her proving itself capable of giving the illusion that nothing was wrong. "I don't understand you."

"Oh?" Lelouch asked, keeping his pace up. The faster they reached the closest equivalent to a fast food restaurant that Lugnica had to offer, they easier it'd be to keep Priscilla in line. "How so, princess?"

"Exactly that," she said. "I'm a princess. Shouldn't I be treated better? I should be living in a castle!"

"Indeed, a princess," Lelouch said. "Though I believe the exact term right now is candidate to become the dragon shrine priestess. You're one of five in line of the throne. I thought Aldebaran had explained that to you."

"Preposterous," Priscilla muttered. The streets got more crowded as they approached the center of restaurants in the city, and without him noticing, Priscilla had closed the marginal gap between them and grabbed him by the sleeve. "Don't walk so fast. I'd get lost."

Lelouch shook his head slightly at the childish whine with which she proclaimed her order, but kept going. That sight was a bit too much for the people to ignore, however, and she shamelessly clung to him even as the people began to point and talk about them. Minimize the damage, Aldebaran said. Next he'd suggest fighting a Knightmare Frame with his bare hands, that sounded even more doable than taking care of Priscilla Barielle for an indefinite amount of time.

"Of course," Lelouch conceded. "We're there already, though."

The restaurant in question wasn't constantly filled, mostly because people who bought their meals here were those that were on the go. Strangely enough, the food here were very similar to some of the meals offered back home. The only thing missing on the menu was pizza, and Lelouch wasn't going to unleash that evil on the world by making a suggestion. Standing in line for just a moment, Lelouch ordered the easiest thing to carry out with - some sort of burger that wasn't actually called burger. For the sake of the insatiable Barielle, half a dozen should be enough.

"What's that?" she asked, curiously peeking at the food from over his shoulder when she took the bag. Lelouch waited for them to be out of the restaurant before he opened the bag again and shoved one of the paper-wrapped sandwiches into her hand. "It smells… strong."

"It's food," Lelouch said, taking one of them as well and unwrapping it. Monkey see, monkey do. Taking a bite of his was enough for Priscilla to do the same to hers and she looked disgusted for just a moment before her face began to flush slightly.

"T-this is truly the food of nobility," Priscilla declared, inhaling the rest of the burger and grabbing Lelouch's out of his hand. She took a bit more time with that one before she swiped the bag from his hand. The people were staring. "This rich taste, this soft meat-"

"What a shameless display," a voice rung out, and the mass of people all but parted as Crusch Karsten stepped forward, wearing her usual military-esque clothes. "Though I don't think I've ever heard you speak in such joy about anything, Priscilla. Perhaps present company is melting your five-times widowed heart."

"Who's that?" Priscilla asked quietly. Lelouch grimaced. Aldebaran and Priscilla should she get her memories back wouldn't enjoy this.

"Your cousin, another princess," Lelouch explained quickly. "Don't speak too much, she can tell when you're lying."

"Of course, dearest cousin," Priscilla said, clinging to Lelouch even tighter. Lelouch sighed out through his nose, closing his eyes and waiting for the inevitable headache. "My knight is currently indisposed and I've decided to spend the time with this man until he returns."

"I suppose that's the last candidate you're going to spend time with in your quest to be neutral," Crusch said, casting a stern glare at Lelouch. He smiled at her.

"Aldebaran has asked me for a favor as fellow countrymen to make sure nothing happens while he's gone," Lelouch said. "I feel that she might actually be more capable of fighting off the man from last night should he attack again than me."

"Humility doesn't fit you," Crusch said. She stepped forward and took a place opposite to Priscilla. "I've wanted to discuss something with you, Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch scowled, and took steps forward. Priscilla nearly stumbled, but just kept going. On anyone else, the expression that appeared on her face might've been a pout. Considering this wasn't really Priscilla, it might actually be. Crusch followed. "I assume you use it because that name has no meaning in Lugnica, or perhaps you're just trying to irritate me?"

"If something like a name is enough to provoke such a response from you, perhaps it's because it has meaning in a way I cannot comprehend. You have disdain for your family."

"I have no family," Lelouch said. Priscilla stopped suddenly, pulling on Lelouch's clothes. She pointed at a tailor. Handing her the bag with her money that he managed to confiscate before they left and she rushed in. Turning back to Crusch, who was watching the display with a calculative gaze, the corners of his lips twitched downwards. "They're gone, and nothing remains. I find it more and more curious how someone such as you seems to be content about poking me like a petty child."

"Curiosity," Crusch admitted shamelessly. "I had my theories, and they seem to be all but confirmed lately. Meanwhile, you keep making friends in high places, your presence is insufferable to me and mine as I aim for the throne."

"One might interpret such an hostile statement as a declaration of incoming conflict," Lelouch said. She snorted. Both of them knew that it wouldn't come to that. Rather, it has become incredibly clear that she had some sort of agenda. Something she wanted from him, but couldn't give her if she simply asked him. Information on his past? She could've goaded Priscilla into revealing something she heard from Aldebaran. It was more contemporary.

"You believe I'm a threat to your base of power before you have the crown," Lelouch said, smiling at her. "In anyone else, I'd consider it a sign of weakness. In you, I'd call it a sign of overconfidence. You believe you're the one who's going to ascend the throne, that the other four candidates have no chance to defeat you. I'd have agreed back when I first arrived."

"And now you don't?" she asked. A crack in the facade. Lelouch could see her stern face twitch slightly.

"Now I believe that every candidate has an equal chance, and the one who deserves it the most will win," Lelouch said. Even Priscilla, who had been leading all kinds of domains after the deaths of her husbands, would do a good enough job as a queen.

"And who deserves it the most?" she asked. "Perhaps the Lady Felt, last of the royal family? Or maybe me and Priscilla, the descendants of the first king?"

"Or perhaps the half-elf girl who tamed one of the six greatest spirits in this world," Lelouch continued. "Or the foreign girl, capable of taking control of a company that spread to the point that it owns a kingdom? If I had to choose one, I'd say you. You were the favorite, and you remain the favorite for the majority of the nobles."

"Me?" Crusch asked, sounding surprised. Despite the constant poking, Lelouch refused to crack in front of her. No, the kind of people that were capable of making him angry weren't people like Crusch Karsten. Irritating, yet strangely endearing, that was a much better assessment of how he perceived her.

"Every candidate has something to offer." Lelouch nodded. "The one who has the most to offer is you. I know you hate me, but if I only dined with the people that liked me, I'd be dining alone all the time."

"And with Reinhard." Crusch cut in.

"Reinhard likes everyone," Lelouch said. Crusch shrugged, an almost girlish smile on her face. "Maybe Felt, but she's more interested in trying to set me and Reinhard up."

"Very well," she said, nodding at him. "Though I loathe to admit, you've earned my respect, even after the shameful display last night. I believe Ferris isn't going to be very keen on seeing you again for a while."

"I apologize, I still believe that it was the only way to get him to leave."

"I understand," she said. "And the man's magic has been hanging around Priscilla. Perhaps you should be more careful with her, especially in front of mages."

If Lelouch was surprised by the sudden revelation that she knew something was fishy, he didn't show it. The smell of the magic on Priscilla wasn't something he could compare to the monstrous witch miasma that poured off the man from last night - perhaps due to his own connection.

"I'll keep that in mind," Lelouch said. "You're not going to use it?"

"Chivalry might be dead, but I'm not going to kick someone who's on the ground," Crusch said. "As you say that I have the highest chance, after the proclamations of ideologies, I feel that she has the lowest. She doesn't need me to rub her face into the ground."

Nor an enemy at court if she ascends the throne. Lelouch had the feeling that Anastasia Hoshin wouldn't be that kind. Luckily, it was not her that managed to catch a glimpse of the admittedly superficially changed person Priscilla Barielle.

Then again, Lelouch realized that he didn't actually knew her before this incident. The times he had an interaction with her and hers was when Aldebaran admitted that she sent him to provoke him, and the time at the market back when he first researched magic. The image of the self-serving and malicious bitch that might've been a mix between Schneizel and Clovis turned into something of a self-centered child.

"If you need help dealing with her, seek me out," Crusch said. Lelouch shook his head.

"Be careful," he said. "The man that attacked her might come after you as well as me. I was wrong in my initial assessment."

"That he was after you?"

"That he was only after me," Lelouch corrected. "The Witch Cult is getting aggressive, their hit and run tactics leave more and more people with a weaker opinion of the knights."

"All the more reason to meet you today," Crusch muttered. Priscilla was still running around the store, trying out most any dress and not leaving the poor tailor any room to breathe. Priscilla seemed happy, and excited in talking with the woman.

"Oh?" Lelouch intoned. "I thought our meeting was purely coincidental, I hadn't expected that you would go all the way to meet me outside."

"I'd have used the spell to contact you, and had you ignored me I would have come to your home," she admitted. "I need a favor."

Lelouch smiled widely, trying to look as kind as possible though the sinister appearance of it was likely not lost on her. "I don't think I've ever met a woman that went to these lengths to convince someone to do them a favor. Admittedly, your earlier grudge leaves me perplexed as to how I could help you in any way."

"I'm not the only one that believes you're some person of an ancient age, there are nobles who have drawn the same conclusions as me, though none of them vocal, especially not those who support me. I need to use that."

"Use me?" Lelouch asked, the smile still on his face. "Whatever for? Crusch Karsten, depending on the fourth pillar when she wants to get rid of the second?"

"What is worse than depending on the Dragon to protect us is to become so complacent that you're rotting away, waiting for the maggots to be driven away by the rats that lay claim to your body. The Witch Cult is a plague, and their danger is not a clear image to the nobles who live in the capital, the funds for the hunting parties and protection for single villages too far from the center of some noble's domains…"

Lelouch raised his hand, stopping her. She took a deep breath, the sudden outburst leaving her with a slight shortage of air. Though she had the appearance of someone that was far from finished, he simply nodded. "I agree."

"I thought you would," she said, frowning. "Though I didn't expect it to be quite that easy. You don't seem like a person that's easily swayed by words rather than actions."

"I understand your intentions, and I understand why they would also be beneficial to me," Lelouch said. "Any offers you have for me are meaningless, because we both know that having things handed to us isn't how we want to live our lives."

Appealing to Crusch's character was easy. Gauging her reactions was harder.

"You want me to speak as a person who has fought and defeated an Archbishop," Lelouch deduced. "And you'd play it up. The gallant spirit user, friend to the candidates and speaker of wisdom. You want to take the fight to the Cult."

"Yes," she admitted without concern. "And those who do not fall in line have no place in a kingdom that fosters the strong."

"Meritocracy aside, I believe the best way to help them along would be to strike fear in them, not appeal to their sense of nobility and their duty to protect the citizens of Lugnica."

"An attack? Raise the false flag and make them strike out in revenge?" Crusch asked. "It might work, though it would sicken me to use the lives of people in a play that could mean their end if captured."

"Impossible, then," Lelouch said, nodding. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I apologize, Lady Karsten, but I feel that you might not have the right attitude for the most optimal way, then all that remains is trying to appeal to them."

"Do not confuse an unwillingness to sacrifice lives with weakness," she declared. "To put the lives of innocents on the line when there is another way, I cannot justify that with myself. It's out of the question."

"Then how about your own?" Lelouch asked. She looked confused for a moment, until she grit her teeth, nodding. "Perhaps we're not as different as you'd like to think. In the end, everything that matters to us weighs heavier than our own life."

He learned from his mistakes, but he also knew that many sacrifices he made were necessary for the greater good. For a goal that was bigger than him and the Black Knights. Though Crusch reminded him of Cornelia, she was different. The hardness wasn't all that hard. Her sword wasn't as sharp as it looked.

"I shall call for you when I have arranged the meeting." She spun on her heels, leaving. Lelouch watched her for a few moments longer before he turned back to the store, where a squeal has rung out. Walking into it, he was greeted by the sight of Priscilla holding the tailor down, trying to get her into her old dress now that she had a new one - a bright red one that looked at least one size too small around her chest.

"Priscilla, please," Lelouch said.

"No no, she's the Lady Barielle!" Priscilla said excitedly. "I'm just Pris!"

"I… don't think that'd be appropriate," Lelouch said, taking Priscilla's arm and lifting her off the poor woman. The woman thanked him with a curt bow when she stood up and ran to the back of the shop. "We need to talk about personal space."

"Bah, I'm the princess, I can do what I want," Priscilla declared.

"Just now you said you weren't," Lelouch said. "So how about we find a compromise and say you can't do that anymore even though you're the princess, does that sound alright?"

"That's not a compromise at all!" Priscilla shouted, stomping her foot. "I want her to wear my dress, it's only appropriate after she has created such a beautiful one. It's the proper reward!"

"That's what money is for, Priscill-"

"Pris!"

Lelouch sighed through his nose, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Pris. Please."

"Aww, if Lulu said please."

For a moment, his thoughts hit a wall. He raised his head to look at her, and she was doing a childish spin on one foot despite the rather impressive heels. "Excuse me?"

"If you call me Pris, I'll call you Lulu!" she decided. Was she… degenerating? Or did she hold herself back? If her condition was getting worse, Lelouch might be in more trouble than he expected. Aldebaran might not be able to reverse it depending on how far she goes. He hoped she was just trying to impress him with her 'maturity'. "Luu doesn't sound as good, does it?"

"Please don't call me that," Lelouch said. The cold feeling of trying to remember was gone, but the hole was still there. The student council. "Anything but that."

"Vi Britannia then! That's what Crusch called you, right?"

A growing headache inbound, Lelouch shook his head. Priscilla smiled triumphantly, stopping the spin and ending up with her hands on her hips in a pose that was not too different from Felt's usual boyish stance.

"Lulu then!"

Priscilla: 1 - Lelouch: 0.

* * *

Priscilla was sleeping soundly on his bed. Lelouch sat at his desk, his elbows propped on the table and forehead on his palms, the balls of his thumbs pressing lightly onto his eyes. He was tired. More than tired. It was just one day and besides the short bout of exciting back and forth he had with Crusch, it was nothing but a headache getting Priscilla to comply with him. Worse yet, every time she childishly called out 'Lulu' it drove a needle through his chest, as if the witch was reacting to it. Raising his hand to his hair, he tapped the hairpin.

Flügel appeared in front of him, lying all over his desk in the form of a child. "Yo."

"You've been silent throughout the day," Lelouch said. "Not even mocking me about what happened. What's going on?"

"Satella is quiet," Flügel said. His voice was tinged with worry. "Too quiet, really. Her magic isn't putting a strain on mine, she's not trying to grab your soul anymore. Something's fishy, but I couldn't find out what."

"I see," Lelouch said. "Perhaps it's because I haven't died lately. She might grow more excited as that happens."

"She's not the kind of person that'd want to see you hurt, even as the Witch of Envy." The boy turned into a bird, and sat down cross-legged on the table. "Her magic might have more access whenever your emotional state fails, and death is often that. You're unwilling to experiment about it, so all that remains is waiting for you to die."

"You say as if that happens so often," Lelouch said dryly. The bird shrugged.

"You did tell me all of them because you could," Flügel said. "So yeah, I kinda think you're pretty unfortunate about that."

Lelouch clicked his tongue. He didn't have much of an argument against that, really, but the blunt way the spirit had put his rather problematic life lately was grating on his nerves. "You have a point."

"I always do."

That didn't mean Lelouch was going to seek out death. Nothing has been a real setback lately, nothing he did needs to be corrected, except maybe agreeing to take care of Priscilla.

A soft knock on his door almost made him jump. Who'd arrive at this time of the day? Nobody who could call him with the spell, of course. Standing up and grabbing his sword from next to the desk, Lelouch put himself next to the door. "Who is it?"

A crackling sound echoed throughout the night, and a thud came from the door. Within seconds, a bright glow appeared outside and another thud echoed on the door, this time stronger. Faster. Explosive. Lelouch threw his hands over his eyes to protect himself from the debris as the wall shattered and left the door unhinged.

The door exploded forward. Had he stood in front of it, he'd have been put through the wall that Priscilla crashed through suddenly when the door took her and the bed with it. Making a half spin and stabbing the sword forward, Lelouch was met with the eyes of a madman. The oppressive witch's aura exploded off from him, his eyes glowing in a disturbing green light. The sword was ripped from his hands.

No. Lelouch's mind took a moment to catch up to the scene. His arm was slapped. Not cut. Slapped.

And it flew off his body. The sword sailing with it. Then a leg was removed and Lelouch fell over forward. The man's monstrous image vanished and was replaced by the more familiar sight of the Archbishop that had attacked him yesterday night. Less a hungry beast and more a hungry man.

"I wish we could've just taken you yesterday, this almost makes us lose our appetite," the man said, not sounding concerned about anything. Lelouch looked up, the pain from his arm and leg growing in intensity as the man began to burn the stumps with some sort of magic, cauterizing the wounds. "That will keep you going until the pontiff can tend to you."

Lelouch wanted to scream in pain, but he stopped himself. Flügel appeared above him, and blasted the man out of the home as Priscilla ripped through the wreckage and clawed her way forward, looking barely scratched.

"I… I should've shielded you," Flügel said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'msorry I'msorry…"

Though Flügel was keen on talking about anything outrageous, and loved nothing more than to mess with Lelouch, the informed fact of Lelouch being seemingly incapable of dying changed nothing about the ruinous appearance of someone mangled like that.

Priscilla stared at the stumps, and looked back to where his limbs were. As Lelouch tried to find his voice again to avoid simply grunting his words at Flügel, she rushed to them and came back. Going onto her knees, her dress soaking in the small pools of blood that were left from the sudden removal of his limbs, she put them back.

Lelouch wondered if she suddenly remembered some sort of magic she was using. Some healing spell. But Yang magic wasn't healing magic. It was as if she was at a loss for words, and all she kept doing was putting the limbs up to the stumps. It hurt. A lot.

"Priscilla," Lelouch said with a hiss. "Stop it."

Flügel floated outside as the man appeared again, his form turning into that of a man, his hands creating large circles of Yang Mana. The sudden shock of the attack must've triggered some sort of defense mechanism in him, like an adrenaline rush of magic.

"It… it's going to be alright," Priscilla said. "Aldebaran said that if you… if you can find the limb, you can put it on again. It's… it's okay."

"Priscilla-" He hissed again when she pressed the limbs onto the cauterized stumps. "Priscilla stop!"

"No," she whined, drawing the word long as her eyes became puffy. It was a disgusting sight on the woman that was usually proud to a fault. "Lulu…"

Has he grown complacent? No. This Archbishop was different. Stronger than yesterday, even. The aura was unnoticeable until he opened the door and caught sight of him. Furthermore, this one seemed way more inclined to follow the orders to take him alive than Betelgeuse was.

If Lelouch's theory was correct. If Priscilla was sending them because she was afraid he might have a power that surpasses hers, then he couldn't let himself be taken alive. Never alive.

"Pris," Lelouch said. "Calm down."

"No!" she said, punching the ground. She was crying, her red face tear stained and worried. Though she had only known him for a day, like a child without friends she had grown attached quickly, and she turned him around so he was lying on his back. "M-maybe this direction?"

Lelouch closed his eyes and shoved her away. Flügel was right. There was no safe future for him. He raised his head off the floor slightly, catching sight of Flügel's spirit form breaking down whenever the golden circles and the Archbishop clashed. "What a joke…"

With a soft mutter of Sabal, he created a dagger under his head. Taking a deep breath, he slammed his head against it. Priscilla's scream echoed through the entirety of the city.

* * *

Lelouch took a sharp breath as he opened his eyes from a blink, standing in front of the tailor. Crusch Karsten's retreating form vanishing into the crowd. A few hours at most. The man was likely tracking him already. He breathed normally again.

The spirit changed nothing. He was still back. Tapping the hairpin, Flügel appeared in front of him.

"Yo!" Flügel said. "You okay? You look like something ran you over-"

"You can't remember," Lelouch said, ignoring the squeal of the tailor. His legs felt weak, and the feeling of having two limbs restored was weird enough. Sighing through his nose, Lelouch fell to the ground, trying to find his balance again. "Of course you can't…"

"Remember what?"

"I was just killed," Lelouch said. "The Archbishop surprised us at home and tore off my limbs. He's stronger than yesterday night. Something changed."

"His authority, perhaps," Flügel said, lost in thought. "You look bad, you have to rest-"

"He's attacking tonight. We can't stay there. Maybe we should take Priscilla to Reinhard."

But if Reinhard took care of it, Pandora might grow bolder. Lelouch was at a crossroad and he had no idea which way to take. He could gather more information through letting Reinhard deal with the Archbishop… though there could be more, he didn't know how many.

Eventually, Priscilla walked out of the store with a new dress, the tailor wearing a dress that was at least two sizes too large around her chest. "Why are you sitting on the ground?"

"We're going to play with another princess today," Lelouch said. Priscilla tried and failed to keep the excitement off her face. If it was anything like the last time, there was no way just hiding in the Astraea mansion was going to do anything. Reinhard was strong, but who knows how strong the Archbishops were in comparison.

What he needed was something that could fight on equal grounds with him. Something that didn't rely on the Sword Saint.

Waving his hand in front of him, Lelouch called out the communication spell for Crusch Karsten. The woman looked surprised and then turned around, as if checking if he was behind her. "What's the matter?"

A favor for a favor, and it could help both of them in their plans.

"The Archbishop from last night is attacking again tonight," Lelouch explained. "This information could help us both in getting rid of him and possibly show the nobles that the capital isn't as safe as they thought."

"How certain are you that this information is correct?"

"A hundred percent," Lelouch said, his face serious. "Perhaps we could call for Royal Knights to help in the fight, I imagine I would be a burden like last time."

"I'd not want the knights of other candidates to share that honor, but I'm willing to compromise," she said.

"Let's meet at your mansion," Lelouch decided quickly. If there's any threat to the capital, there's no way Reinhard would let Felt out at night, nor would he leave her side. Though he seemed like the perfect knight, his overprotectiveness also meant that unless Lelouch took the danger to him and Felt, he couldn't convince the man to hunt down an Archbishop for him.

Nor did he want to. Lelouch put a lot of trust into the knight, and the knight trusted him as well. Reinhard couldn't be anywhere at once, and Felt had the highest priority - taking the fight to him was ridiculous. It was dangerous and…

Putting the lives of innocents on the line wasn't an option here. He couldn't justify that Felt wouldn't be in danger with Reinhard near her. He couldn't justify to himself that betraying Reinhard's trust was worth it.

"Very well," she said. "Are you going to call the other candidates?"

"I will call Emilia and Felt, please do the same for Lady Hoshin." Lelouch crossed his arms. Crusch nodded. "Will you also warn Captain Marcos?"

"I will."

The fact that she trusted him about this information made him suspicious. Either she should've asked more questions, or she knew. She knew he was going to attack again, but maybe she didn't know about tonight. Lelouch wasn't sure if she'd have let him die even if she knew about it. Crusch Karsten was scary.

That was what made interactions with her so fun. Priscilla pouted.


End file.
